Naruko, Stygian Taint
by blazord
Summary: Blind female protagonist. Very harsh version of the series. The story will feature lots of additional content to provide a fresh engaging experience. M-Rated for unadulterated violence and realistic situations. Will contain Yuri with Hinata.
1. Chapter 1

(A/N):This will be a tale about Naruko, which as most know, is a female version of Naruto. Her personality is completely different and she is also blind. The story begins when she is six years old, and will have a time leap to nine, then twelve when the series picks up. It should be noted, that certain individuals will deviate in varying degrees from their original personalities through the interactions and events in this story, people can change after all. But efforts will be made to keep most in character as much as possible. I will try to update it at least once a week, but may do so more often depending on feedback and interest.

* * *

><p>Chapter 1 – Orphan<p>

Blood trickled from her forehead and mouth— she no longer had the strength to move. Her ears were ringing and pain could be felt throughout her entire body. She was in a daze and could barely breathe now. Her small frame lay crumpled on the ground at the end of the filth ridden alley, surrounded by a semi-circle of other children. They were laughing, but she could no longer hear them, a dizzying and aching throbbing was muddling her senses. She did not understand why this was happening, why it kept happening. The girl bore no tears however, for she had grown accustomed to their treatment. Knowing not when it had started or if it would ever end, she was lost each time it happened, and felt something in her slowly dying.

The children, having grown bored of tormenting the unresisting girl, walked off to resume their play elsewhere, making sure to be careful that no one noticed them. They didn't have to bother though, as there were only a handful of people who actually paid the young girl any heed. Most saw her as a hateful existence and felt she deserved any scorn or abuse they could muster, though the adults never outright discriminated against her, they made no effort to stop their children, who sensing their parents' enmity towards the girl, tortured her whenever they got the chance to.

The girl's kimono was stained with urine, various food items, dirt, and blood. She lay there motionless, waiting for the dizziness to pass, and her breadth to return. Her silky sunflower hair was matted with dirt and saliva. Her smooth facial features were bruised and cut with several smears of blood. Placing her hand on the ground, she steadied herself and planting one of her straw sandaled feet before her, finally managed to stand up after a few wobbling attempts. Her eyes were shut, for they were of no use to her anyway, since she couldn't see.

Instead, the world around her was a dark haze of various forms and lines, she was able to decipher from the sounds and vibrations around her. Her face was expressionless, as she began walking forward out of the alley on the limp. A few people on the street were startled to see her condition, but no one made any attempt to help and many even had contemptuous expressions, as if to say 'this is what she deserves'. Even the ninjas in the village made no move to aid her and gave her a wide berth, though a few bore sad visages.

She made her way slowly back to the building she called a home. Few people lived there and those that did also mistreated her whenever they encountered her. Usually this involved knocking her down or saying some scornful remark as they passed. It was easy for her to recognize the place, for unlike many of the other buildings in town it had a very peculiar smell, mostly reeking of sake, a pungent odor of sweat, and unwashed clothing. Walking up the wooden steps towards the third floor, she had to use the rails to both support and guide herself. This was typically unnecessary, as the sounds usually formed a fuzzy image in her mind, but she still hadn't completely recovered from the wounds she received earlier.

Arriving at the front door she fumbled with her key, dropping it a few times, before she was finally able to open it. Turning around she shut the door quietly and locked it. Her room was very plain for the most part and contained only the bare necessities, a dining table and a couple of chairs, a bed and a refrigerator, among a few other things. Making her way to the bathroom she bumped into the table in the center, as she stumbled once. Removing her filthy kimono, she took off each piece methodically and folded them carefully, laying them around the sink near the door. Most of her wounds had clotted by now, but a few minor cuts still ran freely. Turning the bath water on, she waited for it to fill up then got in slowly, the pain of her wounds causing her to wince each time. The water became polluted with her blood, and she had to drain it after cleaning herself up, and then used just the faucet to finish up.

After bathing, she washed her clothes carefully and put on her pajamas then walked to the window and sat down in a chair. She stared out into the moonlight, which reflected dully on her pale face, as the wind blew gently past her into the room. This caused her to relax somewhat and ease the burning and tingling sensations throughout her body. The streets were mostly empty now, she realized, only the sound of the wind or the occasional bird could be heard. The air was fresh up here, unlike outside her room, and she felt comfortable despite the aches throughout her body and face.

Her gaze shifted slightly to a lone figure walking down the street. She knew who it was by the tempo and echo of the footsteps, and simply waited as the figure approached, then suddenly leaped up to the roof shingles outside her window. His scent was clear now to her and she spoke in an emotionless voice, "What is it Ojii-sama?"

The old man dressed in white and red robes frowned slightly, a remorseful expression falling across his face, as he saw her injuries. He was well past the age now where he could feel truly angry and much to his disgrace, he had been able to do little to help the poor girl before him. Reaching out he stroked the child's soft silky hair affectionately, but her face remained unchanged. He hated the fact he couldn't tell how she was feeling, for she had never smiled or appeared sad regardless of the circumstances. Taking his red and white square hood off, allowed the wind to clear his thoughts.

"Is my hair still dirty Ojii-sama?" she asked in a small innocent voice.

Her simple words cut through his heart like a dagger, and he closed his eyes while bringing his other hand up to his face in anguish. What more could he do? This child bears a tremendous burden and has been living alone here for a few years now, all without complaint or sadness. It was as if she could not even feel such emotions. Her eyesight had been taken from her at birth, along with her parents and her entire clan before that.

And regardless of the measures he had put in place to protect her from the villagers— she still kept turning up like this. Placing a guard to protect her only brought enmity on that individual as well along with her, and it was a duty no one volunteered for, something he had forced many to do as availability allowed. He did not want to show favoritism and he could understand the villagers' feelings, but this was too much for his old age to bear. Looking up at her again, he continued to softly stroke her hair silently.

She seemed confused at his lack of communication but said nothing further.

His old body grew fatigued from squatting and he finally sat down with his back against the window seal, having retracted his hand from her hair. He wondered if it was possible, for her to become one but everything in his being refuted the idea. It was unprecedented and seemingly foolhardy thing to do, but as always it seemed like the only solution, the only answer.

The girl's head had turned back up to the moon and he joined her in check. Finally he decided to ask her some questions to gauge the prospect. "Naruko, you could tell it was me walking down the street couldn't you?" He glanced at her sideways.

Her focus shifted to his face and she nodded slightly.

"Can you tell the difference between others as well?"

"Everyone has a different sound, a different smell, a different feeling", she replied.

He mulled this over in his mind and thought about what she meant. Unlike most people who identified others mainly on appearance, Naruko saw them as a collection of different sounds, smells, and probably patterns in their movement. When comparing against an individual who used sight, there are distinct advantages and disadvantages, particularly when taking genjutsu into account. Where as someone who relied mainly on visual cues and to a much lesser extent, sound, would be fooled more easily by this art; Naruko would utilize two other senses, not normally taken into consideration by the jutsu, in how the individual actually moves or the scent they give off. He wondered though how much sharper her senses were in comparison to a normal individual.

The old man also already knew she could guide herself around the city, though how she did this exactly, he wasn't entirely sure. After all, their medics could cure most forms of blindness, but Naruko's loss of vision seemed to be unique in some way. He thought about these things for quite some time, before making up his mind. "Naruko, can you come to Ojii-sama's office tomorrow after you eat?"

She nodded slightly.

Satisfied, the old man moved on to their usual exchange, "So what do you want to learn about today?"

The girl was silent for a moment then asked, "Why are the shapes of the buildings in the village so varied and alike?"

As usual, her question was always complex for someone her age, he thought. "That has to do with something called 'architecture'. It's basically a style of design and construction of buildings, though not all the structures in the village are drawn up by the same person, most of them follow a similar pattern when they are erected," the old man explained.

"So different people are creating the buildings based on ideal forms?" she surmised.

He smiled slightly, "That's right." Reaching over, he patted her head approvingly. He really liked how bright she was— it reminded him a lot of himself in his younger days.

After the old man moved his hand away, Naruko continued, "Last time, you said that we get most of the food from outside the village, why is that?"

"Do you remember when I explained to you how our village is mostly urbanized?" he asked in return.

She nodded.

He was positive she remembered, but this was a leading up to his answer, "Due to that, we have little room to grow crops or raise animals ourselves. Therefore we have to rely on outside sources such as farms, processing centers, and fishing companies."

"So we don't cultivate any of our own food?"

"Not directly, though some of the farmers around us are part of the community of the village and we have close ties to them. We provide them with protection and they show favor by supplying some of their goods at reduced cost."

Pausing a moment, she followed up with, "Do we make anything ourselves?"

"We have a small industrial complex with factories where we craft a few things like furniture, various textiles, and practice metallurgy for our implements of warfare."

"What does metal-urge mean?" she asked curiously, stumbling over the unfamiliar word.

He smiled again, saying apologetically, "Sorry, I haven't explained that to you yet have I?"

She shook her head.

They continued on like this for a while, the old man really enjoyed spending his time teaching her about everything. It was really fulfilling passing his knowledge onto others and with her in particular, it eased his mind somewhat knowing he was helping her grow in this way. There were only a small number people who could actually talk to about many of the things he discussed with her, and even fewer who could understand or were interested in the vast number of subjects he was familiar with. He only wished he had more time to spend with her, but his duties took up most of his time.

They finally reached a sort of conclusion and he said, "I'll see you tomorrow Naruko."

"Good night Ojii-sama," she replied in a tired voice.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Chakra flow

Waking up the next morning, Naruko sat up slowly and sleepily, her body still burning and aching from the beating she had received yesterday. Her thoughts were distant and vague, she could barely remember the last time anything had really drawn her interest aside from the occasional talks with the old man she was so accustomed to speaking with. She rarely spoke to anyone else, barring the grocers and shopkeepers, with those being only short exchanges for their products.

Getting up from the bed she went through her morning routine – washing herself, drying her hair, donning her white kimono with yellow flower patterns, and brushing her golden locks until they hung straight. It was all done in a slow manner today however, as each action, particularly immersing herself in the hot water, caused a significant amount of pain. Her behavior was also very precise and carried an exactingness that went beyond that of ordinary habit. Afterwards, she ate some cereal and milk, then washed everything and left.

It took her about ten minutes to reach the old man she called Ojii-sama's, office. It was early morning and most children weren't even awake yet, so she encountered none along the way. Though several villagers did give her cold stares when she passed, as usual however, she did not notice their glares due to her blindness. Still, she could tell that no one had any desire to interact with her, since she was never spoken to by anyone, other than the taunts and jeers from the children when they were around.

It was a lonely and hostile existence that haunted her each and every day. Naruko had no family or friends to tell of, and lived in a world bereft of any joy or comfort. All the simple pleasures of life that most people took for granted, were completely unknown to the girl. Walking up to the door, she stared at it blankly, wondering perhaps if something would change today, something that would pull her away from all this…

The old man was surprised to hear a knock at his door so early, and bid the visitor to enter. He was even more surprised to see it was Naruko, but at the same time relieved, that she appeared to not have suffered any further injuries on the way.

She walked in casually with listless steps then stopped right in front of his desk.

He gazed at her, confirming once again, that she was able to somehow navigate the town unassisted despite being blind. The last time she had come here was under his guidance and almost one year ago. So the chance she remembered the way, through that alone was very slim. Standing up from his desk he started to walk around it, speaking in a warm tone, "Good morning Naruko".

Turning to his direction, she bowed politely with her usual indifferent expression, "Good morning, Ojii-sama."

His face softened at this, as he stopped in front of her and knelt down to rub her silky hair, "You did well in getting here by yourself." He praised her with a strained smile. _Such a polite child_, he thought. And yet because of creature sealed inside her, Naruko's life so far had been nothing short of tragic.

"Thank you Ojii-sama. I came as you asked," she said in a soft feminine voice, her face passive.

Gathering his red and white robes about him, he placed his knees on the floor then slowly lowered himself into a seiza sitting position on the large carpet. Bidding her to do the same, he collected his thoughts and began, "Naruko, I am going to test you, to see if you can become a ninja."

"They are the ones that protect the village?" she questioned in monotone.

"That's right, Ojii-sama is the head ninja of this village", he explained. "Each of the five biggest ninja villages has one. They are referred to as 'Kage'. Here in Konoha the head ninja is called the 'Hokage'." He put emphasis on each word he felt she would be unfamiliar with.

"So you are the Hokage?"

"That's correct", he replied.

"I would work for you Ojii-sama?" she questioned mildly.

"For now... yes, you would only work for me", he said carefully. "But first you need to pass the tests and afterwards, if you accept, I will enter you into our academy."

She sat perfectly still gazing at him with closed eyes, the very image of a doll, a beautiful lifeless existence, which never showed emotion regardless of how it was treated. It hurt him to see her that way, and he couldn't help but feel at least somewhat responsible with how things had turned out. And now he was trying to help her in the best way he could think of, but it was still her decision, he wanted to believe. He knew she understood what he was getting at. While she was under his care, Naruko was always able to quickly learn the meaning of complex words and general concepts like 'work or play', but much to his regret, he was never able to teach her words that expressed emotion such as 'liking or sadness' regardless of how he explained it.

It bothered him, but in some ways it was a perfect state for a ninja, since someone who lacks emotions would show no hesitation or remorse during battles, both of which could lead to a quick death. As a ninja of Konoha though, he felt it was essential for her to at least understand these emotions, even if she didn't express them. There was one other thing that bothered him as well– he could feel no chakra from Naruko at all. This was highly unusual, as even non-ninja's emit chakra at small levels unconsciously. _Perhaps this was somewhat tied to her lack of emotions? _He wondered, as this wasn't a topic which was greatly researched.

As he thought about this, an idea suddenly came to mind. He could use one of the Hyuga clan, who were gifted with the Byakugan, mystic eyes that could see the flow of chakra inside the body, to see what the problem is. Looking at the clock on the wall he realized that classes wouldn't begin yet for another hour, so he proceeded with the tests. The ones he focused on the most were the movement detection and avoidance, since with her being blind this was his greatest concern. Her ability to detect movement turned out to be extraordinary, despite her apparent lack of chakra flow, which was known to increase an individuals' perception in varying degrees.

The avoidance tests yielded very poor results however. _Did this have something to do with her abuse?_ It seemed strange that she could not avoid very well despite her superb detection capability, so he decided to leave that alone for the time being. After finishing the rest of the tests, he was very satisfied with her raw talent. He was distressed by this fact though as well, since he realized that she probably could have joined the academy at a lower age. Naruko's absence of sight wasn't as big of a weakness as he thought it would be, believing this was due to his lack of knowledge about truly blind individuals. He made a resolution to address this in the future, as well as make it a point to her future instructors, should she accept. Glancing at the clock again, he saw that it was just about the right time.

"We're going to head to the academy now Naruko. There is something else I want to check before I make my final decision", he said in a wizened voice, as he walked up to her from the location of the last test.

She nodded simply then held her hand out, a habit she had picked up whenever he was taking her somewhere.

He smiled at the familiar gesture and took her hand, and they began to make their way over to the Ninja Academy.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Living Doll

Naruko sat silently and completely still on the bench outside the main office in the academy. This is a strange place, she thought, it bore the smell of other children like her. Though no one was around in the hallway at the moment, they appeared to be the side rooms where several adults' voices could be heard speaking about something she didn't understand. She wasn't sure what to do, since the old man had simply asked her to sit and wait for him to return. He had been gone for some time and without a focus her thoughts lingered back to her throbbing aches and burning body.

Why did other children do this to her? She couldn't understand. Was she different somehow from them? Perhaps her very appearance was offensive to them? She did not know. Could it be she lacked something that Ojii-sama was trying to teach her? She remembered many words he wanted her to learn such as: liking, sadness, hate, love, fear, greed, jealousy, and kindness. But always their meaning escaped her. She was so wrapped up in these thoughts that she didn't even notice a child had stopped in front of her.

The girl was bewildered as she stared at Naruko. Her light lavender eyes narrowed a bit as she moved closer. 'What a beautiful doll', she mused, as she curiously inspected the sitting figure. It looks so real… but why are it's eyes closed?

Naruko finally sensed the child before her, but remained motionless. Was she going to get hit again? This child smelled a bit like her and had longer hair, so she figured it was a female. She could tell the girl was reaching out to her, and simply waited to be struck as usual. The pain shouldn't be that much anyway since her body was already partially numb and aching with pain.

The girl touched Naruko's face gently and drew her hand back immediately, gasping in surprise, it was soft. Dolls aren't like that!

That was strange, was she actually hit? The girl seemed to have moved her hand away as soon as she touched my face, Naruko thought, then lifted her gaze ever so slightly towards the other girl.

"Are… are you alive?" the girl asked hesitantly.

Naruko nodded slightly.

"I am sorry. I thought you were a doll. You're so pretty and you weren't moving…" the girl with lavender eyes responded bashfully as she drew closer again.

"Pretty?" Naruko asked blankly.

"Yes! You're very pretty!" the girl said excitedly as she heard her voice, "My name is Hinata. What is yours?"

Naruko stared at the girl named Hinata strangely, why wasn't she hitting her? Every other time she had encountered another child this had always been the case. Though this one seemed to be about the same size as her, unlike most of the others, maybe they were the same age? She wondered what the difference was for bit before replying, "My name is Naruko."

"How come your eyes are closed Naruko?" the Hinata asked innocently.

"I am blind."

"Blind? What does that mean?" Hinata asked perplexed.

"It means I can't see, so I wouldn't be able to use my eyes even if they were open", Naruko replied indifferently. "Ojii-sama said it's better to keep them closed to protect them."

"Oh…" Hinata replied sadly, then continued in a soft tone, "It must be bad not being able to see…"

"Is it?" Naruko's eyebrows rose slightly, as if in surprise or sudden understanding.

Silence reigned between the two of them after that. Hinata seemed a bit uncomfortable at Naruko's emotionless voice until she noticed the discolored skin her face and hands. It wasn't as apparent earlier, but with the sunlight peeping through the windows nearby now it was easy to see. "Does it hurt?" Hinata asked timidly.

"What do you mean?" Naruko asked in confusion.

"The marks on your face and hands, don't they hurt? I get them too when training sometimes…" Hinata replied curiously.

Naruko was unsure as to how to respond since she wasn't quite sure what the word 'training' meant. Was that the treatment the kids gave her was… training?

"Humm, I see you two have already met", spoke an old masculine voice nearby.

They both turned towards the voice, and Hinata quickly bowed as she noticed who it was, becoming a bit nervous in the process. A woman with curly shoulder length black hair and red eyes stood next to him. The girl with shorter hair bowed to her as well. The woman, who had a protective mesh under her strange red and white wrapped garb, stared at Naruko with a mixed expression.

"Sorry for taking so long Naruko, we were trying to find Hinata, but it seems she found you instead", he said with a bit of a chuckle.

Naruko stood up slowly to stand next to the other girl as they were addressed, then placed her hands together.

Hinata brought a fisted hand up to her lip as her gaze shifted between the three of them unsure what to do.

"Don't worry Hinata, you're not in trouble. I just want to you help me with something", he responded as he saw her nervousness. Seeing Naruko's inquisitive stare at the woman next to him the Hokage introduced her, "This is one of the teachers here at the Academy, Naruko."

"My name is Kurenai Yuhi, it's nice to meet you Naruko",the young woman said with a slight bow.

Naruko bowed in return. "It's good to meet you as well, Yuhi-sama", she replied in a flat voice.

She seems well-mannered, Kurenai thought. Is this the Hokage's influence? She had heard he frequently visited the orphanage Naruko was raised at for a several years after that tragic event. But will she really be able to become a ninja? It was unheard of for a blind individual to be one from what she understood. Her eyes shifted to the Hokage, and she put it out of her mind. Who was she after all, to question him of all people?

"Come along now you two, let's go to the nurse's office", the Hokage beckoned as he started making his way over.

Kurenai waited curiously as she eyed the two girls.

Hinata glanced at Naruko's face then her left hand and hesitated.

Naruko's gaze fell upon the girl next to her. She considered just following the old man, but paused as she realized Hinata seemed to be waiting for something.

Hinata extended her hand out towards Naruko bashfully.

A strange feeling came over the blond girl at this simple gesture, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Instead, she simply placed her own hand on Hinata's.

Kurenai was astonished at the sight before her. Was she really blind? It truly appeared she could see subtle gestures such as hand movements. And Naruko's actions weren't clumsy at all— her hand was placed directly onto the other girl's seemingly without effort.

Hinata smiled shyly and guided Naruko along after the Hokage.

That was the first time Kurenai had seen the very timid Hinata appear happy. It was a strange sight indeed since most children and adult alike resented and even hated Naruko, as the demon fox child. Perhaps she herself could be changed? It wasn't like she wanted to harbor these thoughts, but the lingering feeling on the back of her mind that the creature inside this little girl had killed so many people not so long ago, was ever present. She would be the one teaching Naruko too, if the girl passed this last test and accepted. Seeing that she was left behind she gathered her wits and follow after them quickly.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Old Wounds

The office they stood in had a clean refreshing feel to it, though there wasn't much around. Several beds were lined down the room, parallel to the back windows and across from each other with curtains able to separate each of the beds when pulled around the rail. In the front of the room two screens were setup on each side of the closest beds. Across from the door alongside the wall, a single desk and bookshelf took up the rest of the space along with a few chairs near the door, setup for waiting patients. Most of the books on the shelf were records of the students at the Academy, but some were medical texts which described how to perform various medical jutsu procedures.

"I want you to use your Byakugan to see if you can detect any chakra flow within Naruko", the Hokage said as he stared at Hinata, who was still holding Naruko's hand.

Hinata was a bit confused at the request and glanced at Kurenai uneasily.

"That is why we were looking for you Hinata, you're the only one here aside from your cousin Neji-kun, who can do it", Kurenai replied.

Hinata looked back at the Hokage and he nodded in response, then she stared at Naruko who glanced at her in return. At this she became a bit self-conscious, realizing she was still holding Naruko's hand, Hinata released it quickly then blushed. Her eyes hovered around their feet and she replied in a meek voice, "O-ok…"

The Hokage moved over to a bed and sat down as he crossed his arms into the folds of his robes.

Kurenai simply moved over to the side a bit to the left of Naruko and stood watching the two girls curiously.

Hinata shyly moved to stand in front of Naruko, her face flushed from all the attention. Putting her hands together in a seal she said, "Byakugan!" Her lavender pupils suddenly became more focused and the veins around them became more pronounced distorting her face slightly.

Naruko remained silent as if pondering the whole situation, while faintly remembering the warmth in her hand from the girl now in front of her. What was that strange sensation she felt when they held hands? It wasn't anything like with Ojii-sama. He had a strong firm grip and his hands were calloused, rough, and a bit cool to the touch. She was always used to being abused and made fun of by others. So she couldn't understand why this girl had held her hand so delicately and even spoken to her.

As Hinata's eyes hovered over Naruko's figure, she was unable to see any trace of charka flow. Straining her eyes a bit, she still couldn't see anything and instead focused on the other details of the chakra pathways. As she stared into Naruko's face she noticed two black dots where her eye tenketsu's were located. It seems like they are closed, she thought. Looking over the rest of Naruko's body she noticed similar dots at her wrists as well which cut the flow from her hands.

A few minutes passed as Hinata thoroughly checked over Naruko's body before speaking up. "Umm… there is… no chakra flowing at all and uhh… and several tenketsu around her body are closed… I think", Hinata replied a bit unsure of herself.

"Closed?" the Hokage replied clearly perturbed, his expression grave.

Kurenai was very disturbed at the prospect as well and shifted uncomfortably.

She's probably never seen closed tenketsu before, he thought, but there is no doubt that she can tell the difference being a Hyuga. More importantly though, who would have closed them and why? It's not like a child would pose anyone a threat especially at such a young age and without training. Living without any chakra flow makes life significantly more difficult in so many ways, particularly in regards to physical exertion and conditioning.

People are more susceptible to pain, illness, and injury in addition to being very weak, if not unable to move entirely, after exhausting their chakra. _How long has she been in this state?_ Dark thoughts flitted through his mind as he weighed the matter. Thoughts which his own mind felt were far behind him, thoughts which he felt he had forsaken long ago. Sighing deeply, he ran a hand across his face in resignation. He didn't even know where to start, but it was clear someone had done this to Naruko to further torment her. There could be no other explanation. He truly wanted to believe and trust in his own people, but these issues around Naruko just kept appearing continuously.

Taking a deep breath he made up mind, this was the last test he needed to do to affirm her ability to become a ninja, "Hinata, are you capable of opening the tenketsu?"

Shifting her gaze towards the Hokage she nodded, but added in a voice filled with embarrassment, "But umm… I can't do it very well… with—", blushing furiously she stopped speaking to gather the courage to finish, "—clothes on…" Her face was red all the way up to her ears as she spoke the last couple of words.

He arched an eyebrow at her when she said that.

Kurenai picked up on it and followed up, "I think she means it's difficult for her to open them on others with their clothes on, Hokage-sama."

Raising his head slightly in understanding, "Oh, I see." He stood up and looked at the blond girl as he spoke, "Naruko, Hinata is going to open your tenketsu so your chakra can flow freely. It will probably feel a bit strange, but please bear with it, as it will allow your body to function much better. You'll understand how important it is if you decide to go to school here… I need to be off now to take care of some things but let Kurenai know what your decision is."

Naruko stared over at him and nodded then bowed to him before replying in monotone, "Goodbye, Ojii-sama."

"I'll leave her in your hands then Kurenai", the Hokage said as he turned towards her. His gaze lingered on her for a bit as if wanting to say something more and his eyes shifted over to Naruko. A pained expression fell across his face, as he closed his eyes in thought. When he turned back to Kurenai his face was gravely serious, but he remained silent.

As if on cue, Kurenai bowed to him. Though it was clear she was confused, having watched the play of emotions on his face. What could make an elder ninja such as him react like that?

He tipped his hat to her and walked out of the room.

Hinata finally turned around as the Hokage walked out and turned to Kurenai, "Sensei?"

"Let's move over to one of the bed partitions you two, so Naruko can take her clothes off in private", the woman replied. She moved over to the bed on the left near the window and pulled the curtain all the way around it, holding it up at the end so the two girls could pass. As they did so, she thought about closing the blinds as well. But after a scan of the area, she decided it would be fine since she didn't sense anyone outside and the fact classes were still in session. The wall the window was situated on, was also high enough to where Naruko would be mostly behind cover as well should anyone suddenly appear nearby outside. The Hokage's earlier reaction prompted this caution in her, and though she wasn't exactly sure why, she had a feeling it was important. After the two had entered Kurenai stayed on guard, as she watched Naruko start to undress next to the bed. An inexplicable sensation of unease, she couldn't shake, crept up on her as she watched the girl.

Hinata stood near Kurenai, next to the window and fidgeted with her hands shyly looking down, while occasionally sneaking peeks at Naruko.

As Naruko removed the various pieces of her kimono, she folded and arranged them neatly on the bed. It was a strange sight since the style of dress is rarely worn by anyone in the village and usually only on very special occasions. The way she carefully took off each piece exuded an aura of experience and dignity that was peculiar for such a young girl. Her outfit, not to mention her long golden hair, made her very easy to identify though, because it stood out so much.

Kurenai made note of this fact and wondered why she wore it at all, but was highly impressed by the fact that Naruko appeared to know how to properly dress in it. Initially she believed someone had helped her, but when she remembered that the Hokage said Naruko was an orphan living alone, she realized it was a foolish thought. She herself had only worn one on a couple of occasions and both times she was dressed by someone very experienced in doing so. In comparison, Hinata was wearing ninja mesh, similar to her own, with a dark blue single piece shirt and pants. When Naruko finally removed the last piece of her kimono, Kurenai gasped and her eyes opened wide in astonishment.

Dark bruises and welts of all shapes and sizes covered Naruko's body, along with numerous scars. Her peach colored skin was literally stained with all these marks of abuse and they stood out clearly. Several burns could also be seen on her legs and arms. Kurenai was aghast and felt goose bumps crawl across her skin, as she took in all of this. Her heart wrenched and was suddenly filled with sorrow towards this poor girl's utterly inhumane treatment. Though she had harbored some ill feelings towards the demon fox child, her caring nature wiped these away almost immediately upon seeing Naruko's condition. She had noticed the light bruises on the girls face earlier, but this was completely outside the scope of her imagination.

Naruko's face was passive as she turned around, like nothing was out of the ordinary.

With this, the normally calm and composed woman, was finally overcome with emotion as she stepped forward, knelt down, and embraced Naruko gently. Tears welled up in Kurenai's eyes and streamed down her face unchecked, as a lump formed in her throat. She had never had a child, but was now feeling a tremendous desire to take care of and protect this girl, who was the unjust focus of so much hatred. Was this what they called 'maternal instinct'?

Hinata was utterly confused by her sensei's reaction, as she hadn't see Naruko's naked body yet, and brought her hands up together to her chest in a panic.

Naruko felt a strange burning sensation in her chest when this happened and became confused. The mild pain of the embrace brought her thoughts back to the other children who mistreated her and she wondered if she had done something wrong. But the sensation in her chest caused her mind to wander—and she knew this was different somehow. Would she ever come to understand this feeling? Perhaps this woman in front of her could provide the answer…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Decision

Staring at the woman in front of him he figured something like this would happen, no in fact it could be said he had pushed it in this direction when he had assigned her to the possible task of training Naruko. Twining his fingers together on his desk, he closed his eyes and lowered his head in thought. That's right… there was still one final hurdle to be overcome, at least for this particular matter. He was hesitant to say them, but he knew it must be done. Sighing he opened his and fixed his gaze on Kurenai.

"Before I consider this, I must make a few things clear to you Kurenai", the Hokage said in a usually serious tone.

She steeled herself for the words that were to come, not quite knowing the gravity they would hold.

"If you were to adopt Naruko, you would have to bear a tremendous burden. And I am not referring simply that of raising her, she is very independent despite her age, so this is of little consequence. As you knew previously, she is the target of much loathing from the villagers. And as you now know, much abuse as well. Being her guardian would also make you a focus of this to some extent, though unlike Naruko, I doubt they would take any _direct_ action against you. Their eyes though—", he paused momentarily as if to emphasize this, "—are frighteningly cold, their hatred and spite will be directed specifically at you. Naruko isn't able to see this visually, but it matters little since it is manifested in other forms in the way they treat of her – avoidance, lack of communication, tone of voice when they do speak to her, and physical abuse from their children, whom are influenced by their parents behavior. I can only speculate on what else someone as intelligent as Naruko picks up on." He stopped again. The Hokage's eyes and expression became even more severe as he gave her time to digest his words.

Kurenai, who thought her resolve was firm, began to waver somewhat at this point. She could only begin to imagine what this would be like. Would she really be able to handle this responsibility and treatment? She thought back to Naruko's condition, and realized how much worse it must be for her who has no one to rely on, no one to support her through her pain, no one to care for her and provide the love a comfort a child her age needs, and no one that could understand her. She remembered Naruko's face when she turned around, seemingly completely oblivious to her condition, as if all was right with the world. How could such a small child handle such monumental oppression without any show of weakness? Either something happened to make her like this or Naruko must have an unfathomable strength of will and endurance, perhaps even a combination of both, she didn't know.

Seeing her mixed emotions, he continued gravely, as if putting the final nails on the coffin, "You won't be able to stop this, regardless of what you do. You will have to watch her come home, or return to find her, in a similar state as she is now or worse. You will come to understand your own helplessness, as you realize all of this, since you cannot be with her all the time nor change the mind or thinking of everyone. You will have to do all of this without any form of reprisal on your own part, unless you come personally witness one of these instances of physical abuse. And you will come to share her pain, whether you want to or not."

Kurenai was trembling as he finished, and her heart was in turmoil. She clutched her own body in support and tears ran down her cheeks.

The old man felt for a moment he may have been too harsh, but he also felt that she, if anyone, could handle it, since he had guided her to this end. His own heart was heavy as he finally shared this burden, even if only in words, with someone else. Everyone always believed he was a strong and peerless ninja, but in his sense of relief, his came to discover his own humanity and frailty. Logic tried to blame it on his old age, but he knew himself well enough to realize that this would likely be same even in his youth. Turning his attention back to the woman, he awaited her reply.

It took her several moments to compose herself as his words weighed on her mind. When she looked back at him, Kurenai felt strangely subdued, and wasn't quite certain how things would go. She spoke calmly, "Will you give me some time to think about all of this?" It wasn't a decision she could make lightly, she wanted to be absolutely certain of her feelings on the matter.

He nodded and opened a drawer to pull out a sheaf of papers. Placing it on his desk, he slid it over to her as he explained, "This is Naruko's address along with some information about her, and also a leave of absence for one week. You are free to do whatever you want with that time, though I recommend visiting her home at least once."

Stepping forward she picked them up and noted the leave already had his signature on it. There was also a curious sentence tacked on to the end of it which seemed to have been added recently, but when she looked up to question him about it, his attention was directed elsewhere. She accepted the hint and made no mention of it. Looking at Naruko's information, she decided to read it later. There was nothing left to be said, so she bowed deeply to the Hokage and at a nod from him, made her way out.

He watched her go with a mixture of confidence, concern, and what seemed like resignation. His hand had been played— all he could do now was to wait and see the results.

* * *

><p>It was nighttime, when Naruko finally returned to her home. Even though she could use her chakra now, because of Hinata's treatment, she felt more comfortable without it. It was a strange sensation, like something other than her blood was coursing through her body and providing her with an unusual strength. Walking over to her usual place near the window she sat down and stared at the moon. Focusing on the unusual sensation flowing through her body, she tried to reduce its influence. Several minutes passed, and she could feel the flow subsiding further and further. After taking a few slow deep breaths, the sensation finally stopped and she was able to relax. Her body felt a bit heavier and the pains of her wounds become more apparent, but it didn't seem to bother her.<p>

The wind blew strongly tonight cooling her fevered body. It was a pleasant feeling and she found herself, as usual, trying to synchronize with the sensation. She tried to pick up every swirl, every curve, every wave and form of the wind. Her mind reflected these movements and her breathing came into time with the blowing of the air on her skin. Strange sensations flowed through her arms that were propped up on the window and she realized that today was different than all her previous attempts in the past years. A thought came immediately to mind, was it became she could use her chakra now?

The she could picture its influence, its scope, its form and its shapes, in even greater detail than she could the buildings and street below. It was a strange sense of understanding, but it also felt so natural, like she had become attuned to it. Her body relaxed even more and she became a bit drowsy. As she tried to fight the feeling her head bobbed up and down with jerks each time. Sleepily, she reached over and guided herself clumsily onto the bed, her body becoming lost in her tangle of silky hair.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Bad Hair Day

Shuffling around on her bed half-asleep, Naruko felt an odd prickly sensation around her body. She kept changing positions on the bed, hoping to alleviate it, but after several minutes, she decided it was futile and started to get up. Her hair was tangled all around her body and arms, she realized. She heard birds chirping outside across street on the roof in front the window, indicating it was early morning. A few people could be heard here and there too, but she mostly ignored this, as she yawned. Moving over to the edge of the bed, she dangled her legs over and attempted to fix her mass of disordered hair. This wasn't a thing she was used to dealing with, and something seemed a bit off about it… Every time she managed to arrange a group of threads behind her the prickly sensation ran through her body. Naruko paid it no mind, until she had finished untangling the rest of her hair, and shifted it behind her shoulders.

It was then she discovered what was amiss—her hair was seemingly floating behind her in a wavy and swirly forms, almost as if it had a life of its own! She kept trying to brush it down with her hands but it just kept slipping away each time, and she became more and more confused by what was happening. Getting off of the bed, she was very unsteady on her feet, due to her seemingly feather weight body. It was like trying to standup with both feet asleep and she wobbled around trying to gain her balance, as her hair flailed around, mocking her efforts further. Her head was spinning and her sense of orientation was thrown off as she finally topped to the floor on her butt. Dizzy she brought her hands up to her face and attempted to steady herself, shaking her head from side to side, before trying to get back up again. It worked— for all of a few seconds – before she lost her balance again and ran headlong towards the refrigerator. She managed to brace herself with her arms, an instinctive reaction, before she banged against it and fell down again.

Her face was flushed now and her eyebrows were twitching, as she was further confused by an insistent pang. This is what they called clumsiness, wasn't it? She had never experienced it before, but remembered what Ojii-sama had told her. The pang was also bothering her, but she had no idea what it could be. Standing up while leaning on the fridge for balance, she tried again to fix her hair once more. This time bundling it forward, then holding it down for a minute, before twisting it back around behind herself and letting it go. It was no use, she realized, her knee length hair just swirled and waved around again, despite best her efforts.

Giving up, she decided to go to the bathroom and wash her body which she finally realized, wasn't hurting very much at all compared to yesterday. The tingling feeling continued though, as she unsteadily tried to make her way over to the other room. It took a significant amount of effort to just to stay on her feet and she still wobbled precariously while walking, her long hair threatening to throw her balance off with its random movements. Glancing towards the front door to her room, she realized there was someone behind it and reached over to the nearby chair for balance.

A situation like this had happened only twice before, once was when Ojii-sama had sent someone to guide her around the city when she first started living here. The other time… she couldn't remember it for some reason, but felt certain that there had been another occurrence. It was odd, like there was fuzzy part to her memory was missing, but when she tried to recollect it her head started to ache painfully. A knock finally came, causing her to stop thinking about it, the throbbing subsiding quickly.

The door was only a few feet away, so she managed to reach it without too much trouble. When she touched the doorknob though, a zapping sound made her draw her hand back quickly and gasp in a small voice, "Umh." Was there something on the doorknob? No, it was the same one as always, but for some reason when she touched it a sharp pain stung her hand.

The figure behind the door knocked again lightly.

When she touched the doorknob again nothing happened, but she drew her hand away instinctively. Thinking nothing more of it, she unlocked the knob and started to open the door. Her hair decided to take decisive action, and whipped through the crack like air spreading through the room. The person behind the door hopped back in alarm and readied a kunai all in the same motion. Naruko steadied herself a bit holding the doorknob with one hand then opened a gap in the wild flow of hair to peek through. A pleasant scent, much unlike the rest of the trashy surroundings outside the room assailed her nose, "Yuhi-sama?"

The woman blushed lightly as she lowered her kunai and stuffed it back in its holder, "Yes, it's me, Naruko-chan." The mixed expression, she wore earlier when she was waiting outside the door had been replaced by surprise, embarrassment, and now bewilderment at the spectacle before her. It appeared that Naruko's hair was being blown through the opening in the door by a strong gust of wind, but since she didn't feel any disturbance against her own body, she was puzzled.

"I know, I mean is anything wrong? You jumped back when I opened the door", Naruko replied in small voice, while trying to keep her hair from getting in her mouth.

"No… umm… your hair?" she asked hesitantly, clearly surprised she had been recognized immediately by Naruko.

"Oh…" she glanced down and stayed quiet for a few moments. "I don't know it's being kind of—", she sneezed suddenly as some hair tickled her nostril, "—weird today." Gazing back at Kurenai, after rubbing her nose, she asked, "Do you want to come in? It's hard to talk like this."

Kurenai smiled warmly, "If you don't mind."

Naruko opened the door carefully, battling with her hair, which was now wrapped around the rim of the door.

Kurenai giggled a bit, despite herself, as she watched Naruko struggling just to open the door. It was certainly strange watching the hair move around seemingly on its own like that, mainly because it was so unexpected. She initially thought it was some kind of jutsu at first, but watching the hair carefully, it was apparent there was no rhyme or reason to it. When the door was open wide enough for her to go through, she stepped inside, and knelt down to help Naruko free her hair from the door. Successful, she closed the door and turned her attention back to the small girl.

Her earlier anxiety about this meeting had completely dissipated, having been replaced with by a strangely pleasant feeling, as she stared at Naruko. Even now, Kurenai found it difficult to believe this girl harbored the demon fox biju, whom so many people loathed. Though she had not been adamant about it, she did harbor some discontent towards this girl at one point, but now she had begun to wonder if it all had been terribly misplaced. If so, than Naruko has been just as much of a victim as everyone else, from that tragic attack six years ago where so many villagers had been killed. Why was it she just now came to realize something like that?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Chakra Control

Glancing around the room casually, Kurenai thought it was rather plain but very neat and it was cleaner than her own place. There was no excess furniture, decorations or lighting of any kind, fixed or otherwise. The upper part of the walls was beige with the lower part being an olive green grooved wooden panel. The floor was also wooden and well maintained, was this the Hokage's doing? She was very doubtful, considering the condition of the building outside her room. They were like two different worlds. The hallways and entrance to this structure were like filthy hovels with trash, empty bottles of drinks, various alcoholic beverages, grime, dirt, and patches of moss. She was relieved to see Naruko's room was different, again though she believed this was the girls doing and not some outside influence.

"Yuhi-sama, can you fix my hair?" Naruko asked in a placid monotone.

"Humm… I am not sure", she said truthfully, as she had no idea what the problem was yet. Looking around the room, she didn't see anything to sit on except the single chair at the table nearby and the bed near the window. "Let's sit on the bed, so I can have a closer look and try to figure out what's going on."

Naruko who had been supporting herself with a hand on the edge of the table, nodded. Turning around, she started trying to slowly make way her over on unsteady feet, with her hair whipping about wildly and causing her to sway precariously.

Kurenai was puzzled by this, and sharpened her chakra sense to see if she could figure something out. Her eyes went wide in astonishment. Naruko's chakra level was substantially different from yesterday. It had been like a small puddle then, but now it was like the size of lake. Her balance probably had been affected by this dramatic change. It appeared this one of the causes of her problem but she couldn't be sure. She had never seen or heard of anyone, before Naruko, that had no chakra flow at all. What caused it to change? Was she somehow suppressing it unconsciously before? From what she could tell Naruko had only woken up recently, since she was still in her nightgown, she admittedly had come rather early due to being unable to calm down since yesterday. Perhaps when she went to sleep her chakra was allowed to express itself normally and freely?

"Do you want me to help?" the woman asked casually.

Naruko shook her head a couple of times and kept going, her balance steadily improving.

Walking over to the bed Kurenai sat down and placed her head on her hands, as she watched the girl make her way over. It was a curious sight, like a baby learning how to walk and she found it a bit charming. The most difficult thing appeared to be, not allowing her whirling hair to throw her off. It took a minute, but she managed to get to the bed without falling down and sat next to Kurenai and gazed at her with a passive expression.

Staring at Naruko's hair, she wondered, was this also related to her chakra control? After a minute of eyeing it critically, she became a bit mystified. It was so enchanting watching her hair moving around on its own like some sort of living creature. Unable to resist the impulse any longer, Kurenai moved her hands into the wildly flowing hair. It was so soft and silky, caressing her skin lightly as it twirled about. She found herself moving her hands around it seeking further contact. Her purpose soon forgotten, she continued to play around with Naruko's hair occasionally pushing it around to see how it would react.

"Yuhi-sama?" Naruko questioned, after several minutes.

The voice caused Kurenai to return to her senses, her hands quickly moving to her lap, as she turned away in embarrassment. Clearing her throat she replied, "I haven't quite figured it out yet Naruko-chan, I am sorry. Give me a bit more time."

"Can I touch your hair too?"

Turning back to face the girl she replied sheepishly, "I don't mind…" Kurenai moved closer so Naruko could reach her easily.

Moving her hands up to the woman's hair Naruko clasped its strands gently, "Your hair is soft." Pressing the black hair together, "And kind of fluffy."

Kurenai was at a loss with her feelings. The more she interacted with her, the more she felt Naruko was just a normal girl. It was sad watching her though as well, since she was so expressionless. A repulsive thought crept up in her mind, saying that the child was just like a puppet, but she brushed it aside violently. How can this girl be blamed for that? She has no parents, no family, no friends, and lives alone at this young age. Almost everyone around despises and discriminates against her very existence, and yet she remains so pure. Untouched by sadness or vengeance, but never knowing happiness or affection. Can one who shares, even if not as strongly, those same beliefs as the rest of the villagers really help her? Should it even be allowed?

'Can you fix my hair?' these words ran through Kurenai's mind as the young girl played with her hair. Looking down at Naruko, she focused her senses again and watched the hair carefully. It was wispy, whirled around, made waves, twirls, and swirls. Then it hit her finally, and she remembered. It wasn't exactly her area of expertise, but this was very similar to nature transformation. Judging from the way the hair moved it was definitely wind too, could it be? How did this girl learn wind nature transformation on her own? She seemed to have little control over her chakra right now, but perhaps it's because she's so confused about her hair that she doesn't even realize it? Thinking about it now, it all makes sense, as a person's chakra when under a genjutsu suffers from a similar lack of control and becomes disturbed. Having one's chakra influence their hair in such a random manner wouldn't be too difficult even for a beginner ninja.

Kurenai's face felt strange all of a sudden, and she realized Naruko was caressing it gently, making her face flush a slightly, "Naruko—"

The blond girl interrupted and asked dully, "Are you beautiful Yuhi-sama?"

Her face became even redder at this comment, and she was unsure how to reply.

"Ojii-sama sometimes tells me that I am very beautiful, but I never really had anyone to compare to", her hands stopped moving near Kurenai's eyes, "Can you close your eyes?"

The woman complied hesitantly. Immediately she felt Naruko's thumbs and fingers rub over and around her eyes and eyelashes. It was an unfamiliar, yet pleasant, sensation as the girl's hands were soft and probing as if trying to ascertain every detail about her face, but also very gentle, like she was handling something fragile. She sensed the chidl's face moving closer to her own, and stopping face to face. The girl's fingers brushed the young woman's lips lightly plucking at them, then she retracted her hand for a moment before caressing her face some more.

Seemingly satisfied Naruko sat back down, "I think you are beautiful too Kurenai-sama, since your kind of like me."

Looking at the girl, Kurenai rubbed her head gently. She too shared the Hokage's judgment about Naruko's appearance. She was indeed quite a cute little girl. Though she noted, with remorse, that her body was also scarred and the burns on her arms stood out in particular. Those will remain with her for the rest of her life too, since medical ninjutsu can't repair scars, only open or recent wounds.

"You're probably right Naruko-chan. Hokage-sama is very wise." She watched the girl in silence, seemingly trying to make her mind up about something, before speaking again. "I think I've figured out how to fix your hair now by the way", she said in a hopeful tone.

"Really?"

"Yep!" she reassured her happily. "Do you remember yesterday when we got your chakra flowing?"

Naruko nodded, "So this has something to do with that?"

"Yes, I am going to teach you how to control your chakra now. So your hair will go back to normal!" Kurenai said enthusiastically in her teacher voice.


	8. Chapter 8

(A/N): For extra effect, I recommend listening to the song from Naruto OST2 called "Alone" one time, from the start of this chapter while reading.

* * *

><p>Chapter 8 – Acceptance<p>

Naruko sat on the springy grass next to a lake, poking the ground idly with her finger. The sun was setting just on the horizon of the village walls, bathing the area in a warm yellow light. A large cut on her forehead was bleeding— a wound she had received from a thrown rock— when she was making her way over here. It glistened just like the water nearby, but Naruko paid it no mind. She was waiting for someone after all, so that was the only thing she was thinking about at the moment. The wind blew past, caressing her hair lightly.

The blood dripped down from her face and stained her kimono even more. Quite a bit had already accumulated, dying a large portion of it in red. She squeezed her knees together tighter and rested her head on them. How much longer would she wait? Was she too early? The girl had no idea, since she had no way of perceiving time accurately. The ticks on an analog clock all sounded the same even to her superb hearing, and since the hands were hidden inside of it, she couldn't get an image of their position. Digital clocks were worse, because they relied on light to perceive the time displayed on them.

Maybe someone could make one that talks just for her someday? One with a voice like Kurenai-san, for some reason, she had become attached to it in the past week. Kind of like her clothes… she wanted to take it everywhere she went. Naruko was becoming a bit light-headed. She figured she was getting sleepy. Her mind started to wander, as she kept spinning her finger on the grass. She wondered what it would be like to see, the only images her mind ever conjured up were dark shapes and various lines.

Ojii-sama said that the world is colored, whatever that was, with many different shades of various names like green, blue, and red. They all meant nothing to her however. Apparently she was the only one in this village who was unable to see, he told her at one point. Her condition, blindness, was supposedly curable normally, but for some reason they were never able to fix her eyes. There had been a few cases similar to hers in the past, but they have never figured out what the difference was.

She learned that medical jutsu is able to cure all kinds of wounds and ailments. If she learned how to use it, could she someday be able to fix herself? It apparently took a lot of precise chakra control to become such a ninja, since the body is so delicate. Naruko shook her head forcefully to try and alleviate her apparent drowsiness, but it didn't work for some reason. She felt herself fading away slowly, but the thoughts of Kurenai-san's voice brought her back.

More than anything she wanted to be able to see, like a normal person. Ojii-sama's stories often referred to those strange words, which indicated color but they were always lost on her. She doesn't think he used them on purpose, since he knew she couldn't understand them, it was more like he became lost in his own dream when speaking. She noticed his attention became focused elsewhere. The tone of his voice would change often, as he related different stories to her. Naruko never could figure out what each tone indicated.

Kurenai-san's voice changed a lot too when she spoke to her, sometimes it would tickle her ears, other times it would make her body feel kind of warm, every so often her voice would become low and mushy, and on a few occasions it became loud and pushy. Poking her finger into the ground, she felt the soft cool earth wrap around it. While twisting it around, she felt familiar vibrations coming her way, she knew them very well now, regardless of the pace they came at her. When she moved suddenly to get up, her body became light and she lost consciousness.

The woman held Naruko gently in her arms as she wiped the blood away from her face. Her expression was a dark mask, as she inspected the wound – everyday it had been like this. She recalled what Hokage said '_you won't be able to stop this'_, '_you will come to understand you own helplessness_', and '_you will come share her pain'_. It was terrible how these people kept doing this to such a young child. Squeezing the girl tightly in her arms in affection, Kurenai had made up her mind. Lifting Naruko up, she began jumping quickly across the town towards the hospital. The buildings and few people on the ground went by in a blur. It took less than a minute to arrive at the hospital. Beings that it was so late, there was just one attendant in the lounge and only a few people waiting around it.

She strode forward hurriedly to the person at the desk and spoke in a commanding voice, "Naruko needs treatment immediately for this cut." The woman would not allow this girl's face to become scarred as well, and the bleeding still hadn't stopped.

Upon hearing the name, the few people that were waiting in the lounge for treatment looked at the figure in her arms in disgust and clicked their tongue annoyance. Despite the fact they didn't appear to bear any significant injuries or illnesses.

Kurenai looked back and shot them a cold glare.

The male attendant gulped, looking anxiously between the Chunin woman and the others that had been waiting before she arrived. One of them crossed his arms and spit on the ground, turning away disdain. The other two, both women, became pacified from Kurenai's glare and looked at the floor. Seeing this, the attendant wrote down a couple of things and got up to lead her to one of the treatment rooms.

There were very few medical-nins walking around the dimly lit hallways, but nearly all of them, paid more than a passing glance to the girl Kurenai was carrying. She had no idea what they were thinking, but it didn't matter right now. The blood had soaked through the strip of her own clothing she had tied around Naruko's head and was flowing freely again, albeit slowly.

They finally reached the room and the woman laid her down carefully on the treatment table, in the middle of the small room. It was sparsely furnished, apparently only used for direct healing of wounds, and was very clean.

The attendant stepped out and was soon heard hailing someone outside. After a quick exchange, the door opened and a medical-nin ran over. Quickly inspecting the wound, the middle-aged man wearing a white hairnet and gown, removed the makeshift bandages, and placed his hands over the wound. A green aura of light soon started emitting from them. The wound was seen slowly closing up, while the blood directly around it evaporated.

Sighing in relief as she saw this, the young woman waited patiently off to the side for the treatment to finish.

It took a while for it to be completely healed. Afterwards, the man walked to a nearby shelf in the room and took out an IV drip and needle. Opening the drawers, he also pulled out some cotton and a bottle of alcohol.

She watched him work methodically until he finished.

The man held the IV drip, which was connected to Naruko's arm with some medical tape. He was about to pick her up but hesitated, suddenly felling a bit nervous. The man looked at Kurenai in question, "Do you wish to take her to a recovery room? Room 7-B should be available. It's just down the hall around the first left."

"Yes I will take her over. Thank you for treating her", she replied gratefully.

Nodding, he placed the IV pack on the table, then bowed to her and left quietly.

Seeing Naruko completely healed, she breathed easier. Placing the drip on Naruko's stomach, she scooped her up and carried her over. The room was typically styled, with the bed near the window. It contained a few plants, in various locations, and a white screen blocked off half it from view. A clipboard with records on it hung just inside the door, along with few scattered decorations on the walls. Like the rest of the hospital this room was painted almost completely white, a teal green line near the top and bottom of the walls, being the distinguishing features.

Placing Naruko lightly on the bed, Kurenai went to the large cabinet nearby and pulled out an appropriately sized gown. After removing the blood stained Kimono, with quite a bit of effort, she dressed Naruko in the hospital clothes and tucked her into the bed. There were still bits of blood stuck to the girl's face, so Kurenai went to the sink in the room and poured a bit of warm water on a cloth, before pulling up a chair and sitting down next to bed.

She cleaned the blood off tenderly, carefully wiping off specs here and there. Looking outside, she saw the beginnings of moonlight, and though this wasn't the time she normally went to bed, her body felt heavy for some reason. The young woman moved her chair carefully under the elevated bed, as to not make any noise. Crossing arms, she rested her head on them, and stared at Naruko's sleeping face. It was so serene, so pure, in the pale light of the room. Kurenai remembered that she never did get a chance to speak to Naruko today, though there would be other opportunities— she wouldn't abandon this girl.

After being around Naruko for a week, the woman realized she had become deeply attached to her, despite all that had happened during that short time. Everything that Hokage said had been true, she did come to experience all those things he talked about, but even so it only strengthened her resolve. She often wondered why she had changed like this, was it her sense of responsibility? Kurenai was a single child, so she never had the opportunity to take care of anyone younger than her, outside of academy classes, which could hardly be compared to this.

Her father had been killed by the Kyuubi during the battle many years ago, and her mother died a few months later. She just mysteriously fell into a coma one day, and when she died, the doctors said she had just given up on living. They believed this was due to her husband's death, as they had seen a few instances of something like this before. Kurenai was in her teens at the time, but their loss still pained her. The young woman couldn't imagine what it was like for Naruko, who never even met her parents and grew up in an orphanage with hateful eyes all around her. Remembering her father's last words, she felt like this was a step in the right direction. With these thoughts in mind, it didn't take long for drowsiness to fall upon her, her eyes soon closing and steady rhythmic breathing following.


	9. Chapter 9

(A/N): For best effect I recommend listening to "Kara no Shoujo OST 23 karanoshoujo" from the start, find on youtube.

* * *

><p>Chapter 9 – Connection<p>

Kurenai found herself lying on a bed of snow. It was falling all around, bathing the world in a blanket of blinding white color. The air was cool, but not uncomfortable despite the situation. Where was she? She couldn't remember how she had gotten here. Starting to sit up, she saw even the sky was white, dizziness overtook her and she fell forward onto her hands. _What is this place?_ It was so lonely and bereft of life and color. Her breathing quickened and she started to become anxious. _How can such a world exist?_

It was then she heard footsteps ahead, they weren't moving towards her but were rather close by. Looking up she saw small dark building a few dozen paces away, and a child wearing a pure white kimono barefoot with long knee length sunflower hair. She looked a bit like Naruko from this distance, but she was laughing and playing around with the snow. Kurenai still felt a bit disoriented, but she manged to focus her attention on the girl and dark structure ahead. Standing up, she started walking towards them slowly, her footsteps crunching through the piled up snow.

The closer she got, the more she believed the girl bore an uncanny resemble to Naruko, even her voice was similar, though it was filled with cheerful emotion. She appeared to be just randomly throwing snowballs at unseen figures, and laughing gleefully each time she did so.

The girl remained completely oblivious to Kurenai as she approached, like she was too distracted by her play, to notice. Pausing only to pick up more snow and bunch it up into a ball for another pitch. She hummed to herself happily while doing so, seemingly unable to keep quiet even if for just a few moments. The girl was so full of life.

_Who is she_? Regardless of how she looked and sounded, this cheerful girl couldn't possibly be the Naruko she had come to know. Kurenai stood only a short distance from the girl now, but she remained silent, as if hesitant to break this tranquility. Her presence, in her personal ninja attire and black hair, seemed offensive to this place. Looking at the dark building nearby a chill ran down her spine. Goose bumps tingled around her body and neck, an unnatural fear started to well up inside her. She turned away from it abruptly, only to find the girl standing directly in front of her, staring up at her with vacant expression and closed eyes. Startled, the woman took an instinctive step backwards, a feeling of unease now settling into her.

"Why are you here?" the girl asked insistently.

At a loss for words, Kurenai just stared at the girl mutely, while trying to fight down her growing apprehension. _What's going on?_ Why is her body reacting so strongly to this small unarmed child? Her brain kept telling her she should escape.

Moving closer to young woman, the girl asked again, impatiently this time, "Why are you here?"

"I… don't know… where here even is", she replied weakly, her heart beating loudly.

"Humm…" The girl appeared thoughtful for a moment, before she spoke again in a calm but forceful tone, "You should leave this place. You don't belong here." With this the girl faded slowly into the white world, until disappearing completely.

Despite the fact the girl was gone. Kurenai's anxiety remained and was growing even more intense. Unable to stare at the world any longer, for fear of losing her sight to the whiteness, she shifted her gaze towards the dark building. Her skin felt like bugs were crawling all over it now and her eyes shifted downwards. _What is going on here?_ Frustration attacked her now too, she felt so helpless. The cool air suddenly became keener, and she wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. The girl's voice echoed in her head, '_you should leave this place_'.

Kurenai tried to build the urge to fight back this unnatural terror that was threatening to overtake her, but it was futile. No matter how much courage she tried to muster, the feeling wouldn't subside in the least. Even her first encounter with other ninja's who were trying to kill her, was nothing compared to this. Forcing herself to stare at the building, she noticed it had a door, but no windows of any kind, on this side at least. She couldn't work up the nerve to walk around it. The dark color of it was blurry, like she had water in her eyes. It exuded an oppressive malignant aura, which compounded her heightened disturbed mind.

A scream echoed from inside the building suddenly. Kurenai backed away hurriedly and reached for the kunai holder on her leg, but found it wasn't there. She heard sounds of a struggle, and then a muffled girl's voice sounding in complete agony. A fire lit in her brain, as she vaguely recognized the voice. Dashing forward she reached for the blurred doorknob, but kept grasping nothing but air.

_You should leave this place_.

The muffled girl's cries sounded like it was in tears now from the pain. Finally able to grasp the doorknob, it felt cold to the touch, but Kurenai wouldn't release it and tried to open it fiercely.

_You don't belong here_.

_Damn this voice! Why won't this door open?_ She cursed inside her head.

The girl's cries from in the building, seemed hopeless now and only misery remained. The struggle inside began to wane.

Kurenai tried desperately to open the door, but it wouldn't open no matter what she did and tears filled her eyes. She couldn't tell how much time had passed since the conflict started, but it seemed like an eternity.

The sounds within died ominously. And the door clicked.

The knob turned easily, but Kurenai hesitated now, afraid to see what was inside since the noise had ceased. She opened the door cautiously, seeing no light coming from within. When she opened a large enough gap, she carefully peered in. It took several moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She sucked in a breath when she recognized it in despair, this was Naruko's room. A shiver ran through her body. Moving inside slowly, she was surrounded by a foreboding atmosphere, which made her skin crawl. Her mind was screaming for her to run, but she wouldn't listen to it. Forcing herself to look around the main room, it appeared to be empty, but as she glanced towards the bathroom door, she realized it was slightly ajar.

The scent of blood filled her nostrils as she got closer. Her footsteps sounded strangely subdued on the wooden floor.

"_You don't belong here_."

Kurenai refused to listen, and her pulse quickened.

"_You should leave this place_."

She trudged onward, but her body was trembling.

"_GET OUT OF HERE_!" the girl's voice from earlier screamed inside her head.

Every cell in her body was screaming the same thing, telling her to leave, telling her to escape, but she had to know. She wanted to know, having come this far. Swallowing her fear, the woman pushed the door open. Time had seemingly slowed down, and she could count her heartbeats as it swung inward. She saw a small distorted figure on the floor in the middle of the room. The long hair was disheveled. Her heartbeat stopped— an expression of shock and horror filled her face. Even in this light she could tell the wrists bore swarthy bruises, the legs were spread and blood flowed freely from between them. A pool of red liquid stained the tiles underneath the girl—

"_I warned you…_" came softly from behind her.

Kurenai turned around quickly, the girl stood there blankly, her kimono thrashed, revealing her chest, and hanging limply from her waist. Tears of blood came from the small girl's closed eyes and anguished face. Kurenai's heart ached and she thought she was dying.

"_Why wouldn't you listen?_" the girl's voice was broken and weak.

A shadow fell across Kurenai from behind, she didn't even notice it in her despair, and something struck her head causing her to lose consciousness.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Transition

Awakening with a start, Kurenai nearly jumped out of her seat in a panic, but was stopped by the bed over her legs. Her heart pumped madly, her head was hurting abominably and she was disoriented, covered in beats of sweat. Reflexively reaching up with her right hand, she rubbed a bump that had formed on her skull, and memories suddenly came flooding back. She flinched and her head went blank for a second. Placing the same hand on her chest, she closed her eyes and tried to calm down, making slow forced breaths. When her pulse leveled, she opened her eyes and recalled where she was.

Naruko was still sleeping, but was now on her side facing Kurenai. She noticed that the girl's right hand was resting on top of her left and gripping the fingers lightly. Her tension was reduced considerably at the sight. Glancing at the child's face, it seemed peaceful, an expression that Kurenai had never witnessed before on Naruko, even while asleep. Had it all been just some twisted nightmare? If so, why was there a bump on her head? She couldn't shake the feeling of unease hovering over her thoughts.

* * *

><p>Standing outside the door to the classroom in her Kimono, Naruko twirled a knot of her long hair, a habit she had picked up recently, after her stay at the hospital. This was her first day of classes at the academy and she waiting to be called inside, to introduce herself to the rest of the students. From what Kurenai-sensei had told her, most were a couple of years younger, and had started a few months ago. She was told to use as many simple words as possible so they could understand her easier, which wasn't difficult for Naruko as she normally kept her conversations concise, unless asked to explain something. She wondered how they would treat her, since she had never been around children who were her junior.<p>

"You can come in now", said Kurenai from inside the classroom.

Opening the door, Naruko walked in casually, stepping up onto the platform in the front of the room. She stopped near the podium and faced the class. "My name is Naruko Uzumaki, I am pleased to meet everyone", she said calmly then bowed politely with her hands together in front of her.

The class stared at her quietly, their eyes wide with curiosity and wonder. Questions could literally be seen pouring from their eyes, as all their attention was focused on someone who was so different from themselves. Both the boys and girls were excited as they waited for an opportunity to quiz the newcomer.

Kurenai wore a sullen expression as she saw their eyes shining. A barrage would probably follow right when she gave the word. Sighing, she opened it up, "Does anyone have questions for Naruko?" Almost the entire class's hands shot up and were waving around frantically, it was as expected, and she began calling on them individually.

"Why are your eyes closed?" a girl asked first.

"Because I am blind", Naruko replied evenly.

"What does that mean?" a boy questioned.

"It means I can't see."

"Really?" he followed up.

She nodded.

The class stirred at this response and seemed even more curious now.

"How do you move around then?" another girl asked.

"Mostly with sound, but I can sometimes use smells too."

They appeared confused at this response.

"I don't understand", the girl returned.

Naruko became silent for a moment in thought, "I can figure out distance with sounds. Like when someone calls your name, you can kind of tell how far they are, right?"

"Ohhh!" the girl exclaimed enthusiastically.

"You said smells too?" another boy probed excitedly.

"Smell is the same. Like when you find some garbage, it smells really stinky when you're close. But when you move away, it doesn't smell so stinky anymore."

"Wow! You are really smart!" a third boy raised his voice in answer.

The class appeared to agree with the boy's statement and many of them threw out words such as: "Yeah!", "She sure is!", and "Uhh huh!" They all seemed quite impressed.

Kurenai's lips curved upwards and her face softened as she watched on. After the clamor, the inquiry resumed.

"Where are your clothes from?" a third girl asked brightly.

"Ojii-sama gave them to me."

"They look so pretty!" many of the girls cooed in delight.

"Why is your hair so long?" a fourth girl asked as she played with her own hair.

Naruko was puzzled by the question and wasn't sure how to respond. So she decided to state the obvious, "I don't cut it."

Kurenai seemed to take this as a cue Naruko was getting tired of the questions and clapped her hands twice, "Okay everyone, that's all the questions for now!"

Many of the students awed and booed in disappointment, due to their hand still being raised when she said this, but they mostly quieted down soon afterwards. A battle ensued later though when seating assignment came up, much to Kurenai's amusement. She was happy for the way these children interacted with her. Free of prejudice or discrimination instilled by the parents, relatives and friends of older children. It showed just how important the environment and dispositions of the people around them, affected their attitudes towards others.

At recess Naruko was assailed by the kids in her class, and answered numerous questions that were, surprisingly asked, in relative order. This continued until classes resumed, and repeated itself during lunch. The end of class however, when they all started filtering out to meet with their parents or head home on their own, spelled the first signs of disquiet. Parents would quickly draw their children away from Naruko, and berated them if they spoke or said goodbyes to her. This behavior continued in the days to follow…


	11. Intermission 1

Intermission – Growth

Naruko moved into Kurenai Yuhi's apartment soon after the first week had passed. A tension between the woman and villagers gradually formed. This escalated with time, as more and more people became aware of their interactions. Over the years, Kurenai started to change and became more jaded towards them, often outright ignoring the snide comments or insults, typically said under their breath. The people of the town on the other hand were invigorated, having found another target to outlet their loathing of the demon fox's vessel. Kurenai's ninja companions weren't as outspoken as some of the villagers, but she couldn't shake the feeling she was being slowly ostracized.

Still a target of the villager's enmity, Naruko would get injured by them often, though these incidents slowly decreased with time as her ninja abilities developed. Not once however, did she use them in retaliation regardless of what happened. The young woman quickly went on to realize, these happenings must have been the reason the Hokage wanted to make Naruko a ninja. And she also found a measure of relief in this fact, as well as motivation to train the girl even more on her own free time.

Her attachment with the girl increased over the years, often times feeling like she was her mother, other times a like big sister. Kurenai made every effort she could to spoil Naruko, but it almost never took, because the girl was so practical and independent. And after Naruko became accustomed to living in the apartment, she would almost always take care of the chores and cleaning before Kurenai could get to them, which annoyed her a bit since she felt like she was losing out. The most significant event that strengthened Kurenai's bond with Naruko occurred later, when she taught her the meaning of the word 'mother'. And from then on, outside of school, Naruko always referred to Kurenai as haha-ue, despite her weak protests to be called onee-san instead.

Their growing relationship and trust formed a special chemistry between the two, and Kurenai started to learn some of Naruko's nuances. This allowed her begin teaching the emotionally deprived girl about her feelings and, albeit more reluctantly, about the feelings of others. She slowly took to some of them as time went on, though it was still difficult for her to genuinely convey her feelings, particularly in regards to others. And Naruko had the most difficult time grasping negative emotions such as jealousy, hatred, envy, anger, hostility, and fear. The questions she had, always centered on the logical argument of 'why', so it was very difficult for Kurenai to explain it in a way that made sense to the girl, who was seemed incapable of expressing them. School became a welcome break from these discussions for Kurenai, who also found it uncomfortable to try and educate Naruko about them.

The Hokage made it a point to put the blond girl in her guardian's class, so she could teach her directly along with the other students. This didn't go very well initially though, due to Naruko's blindness. She often necessitated special instruction because she couldn't see the diagrams, read the text, or see illustrations. The Hokage viewed this as a personal challenge as a teacher, particularly since his influence was the one of the main reasons she was there at all. So he decided to allow someone else to take on the Chunin woman's class while she acted as a proxy for Naruko, helping her personally learn the material in the classes.

The more the old man thought about it, while observing the girl in class, the more he felt this was the ideal solution. Though he noted that it seemed to alienate her from the class, which was something he didn't want. He knew these younger students were probably the only ones in the village, who weren't yet influenced by their parents enough to have any sort of aversion to Naruko, and wanted her to get along with them. This soon proved fruitless however, because after Kurenai took over as a mediator, the child learned the material rapidly and rose through the grades.

He had somewhat expected this, as he knew how bright she was, but it was disappointing nonetheless. So he eventually allowed Kurenai to train Naruko in her own class, while still letting her have recess and lunch with the other students in the grade she was currently in. The driving factor behind this being the fact that Kurenai's presence with Naruko detracted from the learning of the other students. He came often, to supervise and watch them, as he continued to try and think of a way for the girl to be in the classes normally without someone aiding her.

Kurenai found a new joy in teaching the young girl the ways of the ninja. Naruko was a excellent pupil and learned quickly, which delighted her, as she had never had the opportunity to teach someone like this before. Even though the girl was able to learn techniques quickly, applying them became another matter entirely. The girl's lack of sight made explaining situations of usage very tedious, since the diagrams and illustrations were useless, and became a source of frustration for the woman, usually ended up blaming herself for not being to make things clear enough.

Later, she learned Naruko was particularly adept at forming hand symbols and doing so become sort of a game among them, beings that she had to often physically hold the girl's hands to help her learn the seals. Kurenai was a bit suspicious about this though, and felt the girl may have been intentionally making mistakes at times, just to get her attention. It never bothered her however, and her adopted daughter eventually became able to form them at a little over half her own speed.

Trying to tutor her in the use of basic ninja tools was quite difficult though— Naruko was rarely able to hit targets to due to poor coordination. Numerous trials all yielded similar results, the girl couldn't hit much of anything with shurikens, kunais, or smoke bombs. And she feared using explosive tags with them because of this. Naruko's defensive ability, on the other hand, was astounding both up close and at range. Kurenai eventually decided to see if would do well with a katana, since it was, in a way easier to hit a target with one, despite the need to be close to an opponent.

Surprisingly enough the blond girl turned out to be even better at defense with a sword and became very proficient in its use: quickly able to judge distances to a target, make precise accurate swings, and perform well with parries and blocks. This turned out to be her's strongest suit, though Kurenai wasn't able to personally develop her very well since they were outside her area of expertise. She eventually asked the Hokage to help train Naruko in the way of the sword. He was very happy to do so, since teaching was one of his great loves, whenever time permitted. This included training on how to combine it effectively with the taijutsu she was learning at the academy.

Naruko and Hinata met occasionally at the ninja school, though never to any extended length of time. Hinata was taking normal classes, while Naruko was receiving special lessons. Their initial meetings were awkward, with Naruko politely greeting her then remaining silent, while Hinata replied meekly then just fidgeted uncertainly. They occasionally made small talk about what they each were doing in school, or something interesting they had learned. Taijutsu in particular became a frequent topic of their discussion, because Naruko noticed it was the one thing Hinata spoke the most openly and at length about. She was also genuinely interested, because it was something Ojii-sama specifically taught her about, along with her swordplay. Naruko found out he was the only one in the village who had mastered its usage, and one of the few that could train others with it.

A couple of years after Naruko had started at the academy. The two girls finally began to speak more much frequently, since they were only one grade apart now and met during recess. Hinata started to become less reserved around Naruko, though she was sometimes picked on for being with her. Most of the other students viewed the blind girl as sort of an interesting animal or eccentricity, and typically belittled or laughed about her condition. And as she was taking private lessons, none of them had any clue about her true abilities. They merely assumed that someone who couldn't see would make a terrible ninja.

Naruko never said anything in her defense, because she didn't know whether they were right or not and maintained a passive expression, as always. Hinata often seemed worried about this, but would quickly fade away when she became the center of attention. The other girl's behavior was a bit peculiar to Naruko, but didn't stop her from talking to Hinata, whenever she thought of something new to discuss. She rarely spoke to the other children and only a few brave individuals ever seemed to work up the courage to speak to her. And though they were apt to teasing her in groups, hardly any ever came alone.

This became especially true in the following year, when she starting wearing the new outfit that Kurenai bought. Which Naruko had insisted it be the same colors as her own outfit, despite the fact she couldn't tell the difference. It was a white and red miko outfit with a ninja mesh underlay. She also wore a black leather sash that was looped diagonally over her right shoulder. It was connected to a katana on her back and ninja tool pouch at her waist. No one else used a sword, so that and her unusual outfit, made her stand out even more. Most of the children had stopped trying to attack her at this point, due to the fact their efforts were rendered ineffective. But a few wanton individuals continued to try and abuse her, often by having teenagers assist them.

To these children, the girl was someone they could vent their frustrations or anger on without reprisal, from either her or the community at large. These attacks eventually became a source of experience for Naruko, allowing her to practice the techniques and defensive abilities she had learned, to protect herself and avoid danger. Her favorite one becoming the 'Leaf Body Flicker Jutsu', that the Hokage had taught her, which she eventually became able to perform with just one hand.

In this last year, Naruko's chakra control had progressed to the point, where she was able to utilize it to improve her sensory perception, particularly sound and touch, far beyond that of normal ninja. It allowed her to navigate the environment and locate potential enemies or targets much better. This also enabled her visualize more detail in the world, and provided the ability to read scrolls and documents by scanning them with her hand, though her world was still devoid of light and color. This ability made the Hokage believe she was a type of sensory ninja, and is what ultimately allowed her to join regular classes.

The end of her first three years, since her meeting Hinata and Kurenai, was distinguished with a advancement to the beginning of the next school year, when she finally caught up with the students her own age. She was also put into the same class as Hinata and no longer needed a proxy for learning purposes. Instead, they gave her special handouts whenever illustrations or diagrams were utilized on the board. This was because her ability to scan for written or drawn details on flat surfaces, from a distance with her chakra, still had not developed enough.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Blooming

Walking deeper into the woods, Naruko continued to head in the general direction of the place Hiruzen-sensei told her about. She was twirling a bundle of her hair as she went, making it into loops between her fingers. It had become a habit of hers, whenever she was relatively idle in thought about something. She could have simply jumped over rapidly to the location, in true ninja style, but she preferred this slow easy pace which allowed her to experience the sounds and comforts of the outdoors. It was still early morning, so the air was cool and refreshing under the shade of the trees. The rustle of leaves and birds chirping around her, painted the world beautifully, giving her a feeling of unity with nature.

Another reason for her pace was that it also allowed her to better practice her chakra sensory perception, due to the focus that was required to maintain it. Moving rapidly made this much more difficult because of the increased level of feedback, it was like running through the rain. If you walk, you will get wet but at a slower pace, whereas if you run, you get wet at a faster pace, since you're being hit by more raindrops. She hoped this constant practice would eventually enable her to do this unconsciously like her normal senses, so Naruko nurtured this idea and kept at it.

It took another fifteen minutes of walking for her to arrive at the correct spot. She had actually passed it once, due to never having been there before. It was a small clearing next to the river that ran through the village. The water around the area was fairly calm, Naruko noticed, _perhaps that was the reason the Hokage had suggested this particular location?_ Kneeling next to the river she placed her hand in to test the water temperature, it was a bit cold, but quite tolerable. She walked along the bank until she found a reasonably dry stretch then took her sandals and tabi off, careful not to get them dirty. Pulling her sash off, she laid it nearby within reach.

As Naruko was sitting down on the edge, she cropped her knee length hair and pulled it over her shoulder to rest on her lap. Dangling her legs over the water, she casually dipped her feet into it playfully. _I am probably really early as usual_, she thought. She didn't sleep much apparently. Kurenai said she barely slept four or five hours before waking up. Wondering when Hinata would arrive, she continued to amuse herself with the water. The hem of her hakama felt a bit heavier now, so it probably had gotten wet, but she paid it no mind.

Having gotten tired of waiting, after about half an hour, Naruko started to braid knots of her hair together. She focused on making two of them on the back left and right sides of her head, wanting to have uniformity, something she had always felt was necessary. This seemingly being one of the driving forces behind her impulsive cleaning and organizing of the apartment, she and Kurenai lived in. Since Naruko did this and washed their clothes, Kurenai always took care of the cooking. About ten minutes later, she had finished braiding the left side and was just starting on the right, when she heard someone jumping through the trees in the distance. It was probably Hinata, so she paid it no mind and resumed braiding her hair.

* * *

><p>"Where do you think you're going Hinata?" a stern masculine voice asked, seeing that the girl was about to leave the premises of the Hyuga clan.<p>

She froze up when she heard the voice— it was her father Hiashi— the last person she wanted to see right now, before heading out to meet Naruko. Anxiety attacked her almost immediately as she slowly turned to face him, her heart beat started to race, but she was somewhat prepared for this. The time she had spent with Naruko, had given her a kind of courage where she was able to think somewhat rationally now under pressure. "I… am going to… train", she replied awkwardly not quite staring him in the eyes, which was usual for her.

He appeared surprised given how early it was in the morning, even her sister Hanabi wasn't awake yet, much less training. This made him sound skeptical and arrogant as he spoke again, "Training? And what kind of training do you hope to accomplish on your own, without guidance from anyone here?"

"Sparring… with someone," she replied curtly, shuffling her feet.

"Someone? A friend… from the academy?" he asked suspiciously, while stumbling over a word he rarely used, and didn't expect to under the circumstances.

"Yes… she's a… friend," Hinata said with a bit of uncertainty, was Naruko really her friend? She wasn't sure, but felt a twinge of excitement at the possibility, since she never had one before.

Hiashi didn't think she was lying— she had never done so before. As he scanned her with his Byakugan he became certain of it, but there was something else there. Doubt? That was likely, because he had never taught her anything about friendship, believing that it would probably turn into another weakness for his kind daughter. There was something strange though; Hinata had been more enthusiastic and improved quite a bit in the past couple of weeks. He wanted to think it was his own training, but was that really the case? He looked at her again thinking this behavior was definitely unusual for her. Hiashi wondered if by some chance, this other girl was the reason for her motivation to get better. He was hesitant to be against it, as he wanted nothing more from this daughter, whom he had already abandoned as an heiress.

Hinata had started to fidget nervously, during the silence, wondering what he was thinking. She had tried to avoid mentioning Naruko's name, but if he asked her now, she would have to tell him the truth. Even though, Hinata didn't think she would be able to see her again if she did. It was a thought, which she began to dread deeply, now that the possibility was upon her.

"Humm… very well, you may go, but be back in time for your training here later," he said grudgingly with a rough edge in his voice.

Delighted and relieved Hinata bowed deeply to him, "Thank you Otou-sama, I will!"

Hiashi had mixed feelings as he watched his daughter leave, on the one hand he was happy to see her so motivated, on the other hand he was upset that she had only become like this recently. Perhaps things would change between them? He dismissed the idea and walked off.

* * *

><p>Hinata landed a short distance behind Naruko and walked up to her excitedly, "Good morning Naruko-chan!" As she moved around to the side, she noticed one of the long braids on Naruko's golden hair, which was shining in the early morning light.<p>

Turning towards Hinata's voice, Naruko replied softly, "Good morning Hinata-san." As she continued to braid her hair, she asked mildly, "Would you mind waiting for me to finish?"

Having been watching Naruko twine her silky her hair with interest, Hinata paused and looked down, unsure how she should reply and started to twiddle her thumbs. "Umm…" She had always wanted to play with Naruko's long feathery soft hair, since her own hair was so short, and now was the perfect opportunity. The thoughts of training had vanished.

"You can't wait?" Naruko asked simply.

"Yes!" Hinata said eagerly then blushed as she realized what the question meant. "I mean…" her face was flushed bright red and she gulped, trying to get the words out. "Can I... finish braiding your hair for you?"

Silence reigned as Naruko regarded the question seriously.

Hinata became pale when Naruko suddenly stopped braiding her hair and appeared to be thinking about the request rather hard. _Was it something I shouldn't have asked?_

It wasn't that Naruko didn't want someone else touching her hair, but rather she wasn't sure Hinata would be able to it right. Her sense of neatness and uniformity was making her hesitant to answer positively. Thinking about it for a bit longer, she asked cautiously, "Will you make it look just like the other side?"

Brightening, Hinata replied energetically, "I promise I will try my hardest!"

Naruko held her hair close to her face, just below her eyes, seemingly trying to hide her expression, "Okay… please make it look just like the other side." Turning, she angled herself slightly with her back to the other girl.

Hinata, wearing her typical ninja garb and mesh, sat down in a seiza position close behind and started reaching for Naruko's hair excitedly. It was like an accessory or toy, she always wanted but could never have, and had now been finally given permission to play with. Though she had brushed against this hair on several occasions, touching it directly was a completely new sensation. It had a faint scent of flowery herbs like spring, Hinata was enraptured by its smooth silky texture, and had to fight hard, to suppress the urge, to bury herself in it by hugging Naruko. She wanted the other girl to like her and felt that doing such a thing might make her feel uncomfortable.

Looking at the left braid carefully, she saw that it was almost perfectly twined together. There was not one extra strand of hair sticking out and they were both completely even in volume and size. Hinata was amazed, becoming nervous now at the prospect of trying to replicate that. She swallowed hard, trying calm her nerves. The only thing she had going for her was the fact Naruko had already began braiding the right side. So more than half of the work was already done, all she had to do was finish it by keeping them even and not getting any extra hair in between.

Despite this, the girl was so focused on doing it everything right, that she totally forgot to actually enjoy the process, which she thought would be fun. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief when she finished. It had taken her about twice as long as Naruko to do the left side. She still felt a bit uneasy about it, but at this point, didn't think she could do any better. "I am done… What do you think…?" Hinata asked dubiously. Her lavender eyes revealing she was anxious to hear the answer.

Naruko reached back and took the braid into her hands then began examining it carefully running her fingers around each and every twist. She did this all the way to the bottom with careful precision, and then repeated the process all the way back up. Apparently satisfied, she turned around and nodded to Hinata.

Exhaling the breath she had been holding, her face relaxed as she closed her eyes. Hinata wasn't sure how it was going to go, but was very happy that Naruko approved of her efforts.

Standing up suddenly, Naruko carefully put on her tabi and slipped her sandals on. Reaching down she grabbed her black sash and slung it around her shoulders, bringing her hands back briefly, to free her hair. She glanced at the water than back at Hinata, "Are you ready to fight on the water today?"

"Is it still cold?" Hinata asked with a gloomy face.

"Humm… a little, but we won't fall in today," Naruko replied confidently.

"Ehh…? What makes you so sure?" she replied worriedly.

"You've gotten better at chakra control right? So we will be fine," Naruko said again without any shred of doubt.

"Well… I suppose…" Hinata eyed the water and felt an ominous shiver pass through her body. She really wanted more practice before sparing with Naruko, who despite not using her sword was almost as good as she was in taijutsu. Apparently the Hokage had forbidden her, even despite the fact Naruko had never retaliated in any form, from using the sword against anyone from the village besides himself, even when sparring, because of her latent abilities with it. This thought though, made Hinata scared of the idea of ever having to fight Naruko while she was using her sword.

"Wait, I have something for you Hinata-san before we start", Naruko said suddenly as they were about to step onto the water.

"Oh? What is it?" she asked brightly, her mood shifting quickly and becoming excited at the idea of receiving something from Naruko.

Reaching into her ninja pouch she took out something that had, what looked like bars of some kind, held together in a sturdy material. There were words written along the length of each rectangular object.

Hinata eyed it curiously, unsure of what it was, "Is that some kind of candy?"

"No, they are weights," Naruko said smoothly.

"Weights?" she gawked at them.

"Yes, they are for training to help increase your strength, speed and stamina. Since those my weakest aspects, I asked sensei what the best way to improve them was. And he got them for me a while back, from another ninja named Might Guy. He said it's an old, but still effective way to improve your physical abilities", Naruko added, completely disregarding Hinata's pouting expression.

Hinata crossed her arms and looked away, clearly disappointed.

"Need any help you putting them on? These are for your arms, the legs ones are at haha-ue's apartment, as they were a bit heavy for me to carry along with these."

Sighing dejectedly, Hinata surrendered and reached out for them gingerly, "These really are heavy… are you sure they are for your arms? I don't think I can spar at all with them on right now."

Naruko nodded.

Then Hinata suddenly remembered something the other girl had said, 'got them for me a while back'. Glancing at Naruko's sleeves she confirmed it, "Have you been wearing those since we started sparring?"

Naruko nodded again and added, "I have the leg weights on too. Did you want to me to go get them as well for you?"

"No… I mean—", Hinata was flabbergasted, had she only been beating Naruko because she was wearing these heavy weights? She suddenly took them from her with determination and started trying to put them on, but they really were too heavy, and awkward to be attached alone. "Can you help me get them on?" Hinata asked sheepishly.

Wordlessly, Naruko took one of them and wrapped it around Hinata's forearm, then secured it, repeating the process with the other arm. "You should get much stronger with these on after a while," she said firmly.

The weight was really way too much, Hinata could barely hold her arms up without shaking, much less throw a palm out for her techniques, effectively.

Naruko noticed her struggling, "Should I help?"

"Help me, how…?" Hinata asked with a quizzical, but strained expression.

Taking Hinata's hands in hers she twined their fingers together and held up their palms, "Like this… I will move my hands up a little and you put most of the effort in it."

Turning crimson, Hinata wasn't sure how to react at the situation. Naruko's hands were quite rough and firm like a boy's, but small like hers. _Was it from all the sword practice?_ Their fingers were linked intimately, making her feel funny inside, as she stared at their hands. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, Hinata deciding to say nothing else, continued to practice like this until she had to leave for training with her father.

After saying their goodbyes, Naruko went to the nearest tree and started the leaf cutting practice that Hiruzen-sensei had recommended, going on through the rest of the day.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – The Power of Youth

The streets were crowded today with people shopping for various items, much of it produce, as today was one of the major seasonal harvests where farmers came and sold their goods in the village. It was fairly lively with a number of customers attempting to barter for different items, and a few kids were running around playing. Being a little past midday, this was one of the most active times for everyone to try and sell their wares, so spirits were high.

Turning into the main street Naruko soon joined the bustle, but things changed quickly when her presence started to become known. It wasn't difficult to recognize her, since she was wearing her miko outfit and word spread around quickly. All around, she could hear the whispers that seemed to follow her everywhere like an incessant raincloud, creating a dark atmosphere as she went.

_'Look, it's that filthy blind girl again.'_

_'Why do they continue to allow her to walk freely like this anyway?'_

_'I heard they've been trying to train her into a ninja at the academy._

_'She had to take special classes.'_

_'Why even bother with that worthless girl?'_

_'She's blind anyway and probably won't even graduate.'_

_'That sword looks pretty dangerous.'_

_'They shouldn't let her carry it around.'_

_'How dare the shitty brat walk so brazenly through the streets like this among us!'_

_'She's so creepy moving around like that with her eyes closed.'_

_'Yeah it's disgusting and gives me the shivers sometimes.'_

_'Her face is always so expressionless too, it's like she's not even alive.'_

_'Have you heard her voice? It's just as bad.'_

_'Make sure you keep your kids away from her.'_

_'They might pick up some bad influences from her.'_

_'Or become blind themselves, I heard whatever she's got it can't be cured.'_

_'It might be contagious, that nasty creature.'_

_'They should just kick her out of town.'_

_'We don't need trash like that here polluting our village.'_

There were so many voices talking about her, she couldn't even listen to them all, as she walked along avoiding people who moved into her path. It was clear however that no one had anything good to say about her. Regardless of how much time passed things were always the same. Haha-ue said to ignore them, but that wasn't really possible for Naruko with her superb hearing, and she had already come to accept this talk. Even with her chakra flow cut off, her regular hearing was more than enough to listen in on all that was said around her. Walking up to the food stall she had been looking for, Naruko moved her hand around the various signs and labels trying to find the right one.

The merchant, who was wearing a dirty apron over a t-shirt and pants, had a hostile look on his face as he watched her. He was ready to tell her to leave if she touched any of the produce, which was typically common practice among most customers, but she never did. Growing impatient, he asked harshly, "What the hell do you want?"

Having found the right one, she gazed up at the shopkeeper whom she knew to be an older male by his scent, build, and voice. "Good day Oji-sama", she said with a polite bow. "May I have two of these fruits please?" she said, pointing to one of the square cubicles.

Irritated, he glanced at the price and asked her for double the amount listed for two of them, "Yea fine whatever, that's 80 ryo."

Naruko was confused and put her hand over the label again. She wasn't mistaken— the price he was asking was double the amount she had calculated.

Seeing her hesitance he sneered, "The price went up recently. I just haven't had time to change the tag. If you don't like it you can go elsewhere!"

She thought about this for a moment, recalling the two earlier stores she visited. One of them had apparently already run out, and told her to leave. The other tried to sell her a different fruit which she determined was rotten after hovering her hand over it. After she commented on the fact, they said she should just get out. This was the last place she knew that sold them, so there wasn't much else she could do at this point.

Suddenly, a large extremely well built man, wearing a tight green suit and flak jacket, landed nearby. He started scanning the stores quickly, completely unperturbed or seemingly oblivious, to the dark atmosphere in the area. When his gaze fell upon Naruko, he walked up to her and said in an overly familiar and friendly tone, "Hey, Naruko-chan!"

Hearing her name called, she directed her attention to the grocer. "Excuse me a moment Oji-sama", she spoke, bowing apologetically. Turning around, Naruko stared up at the athletic man, but didn't recognize him, "I am sorry, but who are you? We haven't met before."

Losing his composure at her lack of recognition, he placed his hand over his mouth and cleared his throat. His spirit returned and rose quickly. Making an elaborate movement then standing with a proud stance with his hands on his hips, he spoke full of pride, "I am known as Might Guy! Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey!" He threw his thumb up and flashed Naruko a huge white smile, which sparkled and made a 'ping' sound.

The people around looked extremely annoyed at the exchange, but steered well clear of the large man, wanting nothing to do with him.

Naruko on the other hand was dumbfounded at the elaborate introduction, and just stared at him with a blank look.

Sweat started forming on Guy's face as he retained his pose and toothy smile, apparently believing his introduction warranted some kind of immediate recognition. After a minute of silence, he broke his stance and coughed a few times, letting out a dry laugh, "Ha ha, I guess some people still don't quite recognize me." He looked at the stall and saw that it had the item he was looking for, so he walked up beside Naruko, speaking calmly, "So are you out shopping as well Naruko-chan?"

Having turned back around and she glanced up at him. "Yes, I am trying to buy two of these fruits—", she pointed, "—though the price is double now, so I don't have enough money."

Guy looked at the label then flashed the grocer a stern expression, "How much is it for two of them?"

The older man appeared afraid now that the large muscular Guy had gotten involved. He replied in a stutter, "It's uhh… 40 ryo… for two."

Looking down at Naruko, Guy smiled warmly, "He must have been mistaken about the price Naruko, I am sure he wasn't trying to cheat you or anything." Guy emphasized the last part with a glance at the other man.

Naruko turned to the grocer and asked, "Are you sure?"

The merchant replied in a defeated voice, "Yes, that's right, it was my mistake."

Reaching into her pouch Naruko gave the man the money then grabbed a couple of the fruits and put them in a bag. "Thank you and take care Oji-sama", Naruko finished with a bow.

Seeing her exchange over Guy purchased his own goods quickly and looked down at Naruko, who was apparently waiting to say something to him, "You can just call me Guy by the way Naruko-chan."

She bowed to him and said in her usual monotone, "Nice to meet you Guy-sama." Then she suddenly remembered the name, after it was said without all the extra flair. "You're the one that Hiruzen-sensei got these weights from, right?" she lifted her sleeve and gestured to it.

He laughed heartily, "Hahaha! That's right! Why don't you follow me and we'll talk for a bit if you're not too busy?"

"I was thinking about doing some training now."

"Oh? How about I show you a great place to do so then?" he replied energetically. "I was just about to head there myself."

She nodded.

"Great then, follow me!" he started jumping over to the area.

Naruko stayed close in tow.

It took a couple of minutes to arrive in the wooded area. There were three large thick logs in the center of a big clearing with a river nearby.

"We're here!" he said cheerfully as he walked over to the shade of a tree and placed his own grocery bag down.

"I've never been here before", Naruko commented as she surveyed the surroundings with her chakra sensory perception. "May I place mine here as well Guy-sama?"

"Of course, you don't need to ask me something like that. I don't mind at all", he replied, though he was very taken with the girl's politeness. Recalling her earlier behavior, he felt certain he hadn't met anyone here in the village quite like this. Some of the nobility he had encountered during his missions, being the only other people he could think of.

He was very curious about Naruko's ability. From what little he had heard, she was a very intelligent girl and quite diligent about training. Given that she was using his weights also made him feel closer to her, particularly since everyone laughed at this training method of his and no one else used them. Starting to stretch out he decided to ask, "So how are the weights working out for you? Have you gotten used to them yet?"

"I am not sure what you mean. How would I know that?" she returned.

"Do you still feel their weight on you?" he shot back.

Moving her arms around a bit, she replied, "No, it's just like before when I didn't have them on. So I am 'used' to them?"

"Yea", he said, continuing his stretches. This is probably a good opportunity, he realized. Never had he fought anyone else who trained with his special weights, and he was curious as to how much she had developed from using them. "Naruko-chan, I would like you to spar with me if you don't mind", he said after jumping up from his warm up.

"You're a Jounin, yes?" she asked mildly.

"That's correct", he replied.

"I don't think I would be much of an opponent for you then."

He laughed, "Don't worry about such things too much Naruko-chan. As far as ninja's are concerned rank is mainly a designation of one's experience and leadership capability. Personal skill and ability vary greatly within the hierarchy, but I won't fight back anyway. I just want to test you."

Naruko reacted strangely to the word 'test' and she replied immediately, "I understand."

Guy grew excited seeing her now. Unlike before, it felt like she was truly alive, as if a fire was suddenly lit inside of her. He grinned and jumped a good distance away from her, "Come at me with everything you've got!"

"Everything?" she asked tentatively.

"Everything! Your jutsus, weapons, tools, and take the weights off! Don't worry, I will take responsibility for it all!" he explained with a big grin, then with took a defensive stance and stuck his hand out, palm face up.

She nodded then bowed to him. Sticking her arms out to the side she said, "Release!" The weights on her arms and legs fell to the ground and sank deep into the earth.

"Come Naruko-chan!" Guy called out excitedly.

As she placed a hand on her sword, Naruko sensed something stir within her that she had never felt before at the man's compelling words. For some reason she wanted to fight him, the way he spoke stirred her spirit, and made her think he was similar to haha-ue and Hiruzen-sensei. She wasn't sure what to think about Guy-sama when they first met, but now was different somehow. Going into a low offensive stance, Naruko rushed forward with incredible speed towards him.


	14. Chapter 13

(A/N): I recommend listening the Naruto OST 3 song "beautiful green wild beast" from the start of this chapter, and end it when the second half is reached assuming its still playing.

* * *

><p>Chapter 13 – Latent Potential<p>

While the girl dashed towards him, Guy blinked in surprise at her superb speed, smiling excitedly.

Naruko reached into her pouch, as she was running forwards, and pulled out four kunai then threw them horizontally at him rapidly.

The kunai flew wide and were poorly aimed.

Guy easily dodged them feeling a bit disappointed, however Naruko stopped just short of him and did a vicious short sweep, then he realized they were simply thrown to keep him in place. He did a short hop backwards to avoid her sweep.

Utilizing the momentum from her sweep, Naruko did a short hop of her own forward as she spun and performed a spin kick directly aimed for Guy's head.

Unable to dodge the movement since he was in mid air, Guy brought his arms up and felt the blow throughout his body just as landed, causing him to skid back a few inches. Not bad, he thought with a grin.

Naruko immediately unsheathed her katana as she was falling and made a lightning fast downward slash towards Guy's arms.

Noticing the movement a little slow, since he was jarred from the impact of her kick, Guy had just enough time to quickly whip out a kunai, which he pushed upwards to deflect her downward swing. "Taaah!" he flung at her loudly.

Her sword connected with the kunai making a loud clink and spark, causing Guy to sink into the earth a couple of inches. The blade bit halfway into the kunai almost splitting it. But Naruko was repelled backwards from the hit, since he had applied his own force into blocking it.

Guy's eyes opened wide as he saw his weapon almost cleaved from one strike. Clearly her blade's sharpness, coupled with their combined strength, was far too much to take a direct blow like that.

As Naruko was flying up backwards through the air, with her hair trailing, she glanced at him and swiftly held her katana before her with both hands. "Sword Art: Whirl of Leaves!" she spoke, throwing the words out at him.

Hundreds of leaves suddenly appeared around Guy, and he eyed them rapidly wondering what this jutsu was.

A large circular wind tunnel appeared and quickly started spinning around Guy, collecting the leaves into it as it spun faster and faster.

Sensing danger, Guy leaped out backwards quickly, as the tunnel was shutting over him. He made it barely in time, just before he was sealed in, with his pants being ripped slightly along the closing edge. Flying through the air, he saw in the distance, Naruko had already landed and was dashing around it towards him. Eyeing the circle again, he saw the hundreds of leaves suddenly turn into tiny blades and slice through the air in criss-crossing patterns. It would have been impossible to dodge all of those. _How powerful is that jutsu?_ He wondered.

Landing a fair distance past the wind circle, he slid backwards on his hands and feet, until he was greeted with the sound of a spark and hissing sound. Shooting a quick peek backwards, revealed the kunais she threw earlier spread out in a long line. The burning was coming from under the white grip wrap! Had she planned this far in advance? He was astonished, and quickly pushed himself off the ground over them, as he was sliding. Still being caught in the explosion though, he braced himself, and was launched backwards across the river that was next to the training ground.

Naruko was still trying to catch up to him, as he was blown away faster by the explosion, and leaped across the river. Noticing he was going to hit a tree, she landed into a low crouch and launched herself forward with her katana drawn in front of her.

Guy hit the tree viciously, grunting slightly from the impact. Looking to his right, where he knew she was coming from, he saw she was going to slice right through him! He knew he had underestimated her badly from the start— she was truly one of the Hokage's protégé! This made his spirits soar immensely and he couldn't help but let out a shout despite the situation, "Ohhh yeaahh!"

"Haaah!" Naruko yelled, as she swung her katana diagonally, aiming for his neck.

Guy kicked off of the tree immediately, flipping right over the swing, as it sliced gracefully through the air.

Her katana clipped his bangs slightly and connected with the large tree, cutting it cleanly all the way through, both from the blade and the sheer force of the swing.

The trunk immediately shifted and began falling towards Guy, but as he landed, he rolled away and out from under the tree.

Naruko hopped backwards as well, and quickly lifted her sword in front her.

The huge tree landed with a thunderous crash causing dust and leaves to fly everywhere.

Guy heard Naruko speaking some words, but he couldn't catch it all due to the crash, and only heard 'Third Eye'. As he stood watching the dust and leaves clear, he whipped out his nunchucks and readied them before him, knowing he would be unable to effectively block any further blows from her katana with his kunais. He only wished he hadn't said he'd only be on the defensive, he could have just went easy on her, thinking how it was a waste of half of this 'test' now.

Well there was always next time, he thought happily. Assuming the Hokage didn't punish him for this, remembering just now, the old man had forbidden Naruko from using her sword for some reason… was this it? Squinting through the dust, he saw a shadow moving rapidly towards him and put the thought out of his mind. He couldn't remember ever having this much fun with such a young student, and with blood that was pumping madly now, he grinned ear to ear, waiting expectantly.

* * *

><p>Kurenai sat worriedly staring at the dinner plates she had put out. Naruko was running very late… had something happened? She knew the attacks on her from the children had been decreasing recently, but maybe something worse had occurred this time? What if some of the younger ninja in the village had helped? Shaking the thoughts from her head, she stood up and decided to go look around. Before she made it to the entrance of her apartment however, she heard a knock from it. Walking up the door, she unlocked and opened it. Guy was standing there in the darkness outside the room.<p>

"Hey Kurenai…" he said sounding a bit tired.

She gaped, "Guy? What happened to your hair—" Then she noticed, he was carrying Naruko in his arms unconscious, and his clothes were in tatters. "Did something happen to her?" she asked in a panic.

He smiled weakly as he replied, "Nah … nothing quite like you're thinking anyway." He let out a small nervous laugh.

Confused, she looked at Naruko. There were no injuries or anything on her, she just appeared to be sleeping. "So what happened then? Come inside and tell me about it" she asked, calming down and stepping aside.

Walking in, Guy glanced around and saw a couch. He went over and placed Naruko down on it gently.

Kurenai closed the door softly after he passed.

Turning back towards Kurenai, he had a sheepish look on his face, "This is kind of my fault, my youthful spirit got the best of me, so I decided to spar with Naruko-chan out of curiosity and told her not to hold back."

Kurenai was surprised and her eyes opened wide as she looked him over, "So she did this to you?"

He scratched his head, "She's quite a handful I tell you, I can't even imagine how much stronger she'll continue to grow. Naruko-chan has an incredible amount of stamina too. We were at it for about six hours," he said brightly with a smile at the girl. "I wish she had spared my hair though", he followed up with a laugh, as he reached up and clutched at his bangs.

Looking at Naruko she asked, "So I guess you didn't fight back then?"

He shook his head in denial, then he stretched and yawned, "I need to get going myself. Sorry about Naruko-chan. I know you're taking good care of her Kurenai, despite what the villagers and some of the other ninjas say. It's quite an admirable thing." He stuck his thumb out with a grin.

Kurenai smiled in return, "Thanks Guy. Good night and take care."

Guy stared walking out quietly and paused at the door, looking back, "Oh and I'll talk to the Hokage-sama about this and apologize to him properly. I found out why he had forbid Naruko-chan from using her sword."

Appearing uncomfortable, Kurenai asked, "Did she use that ability on you?"

"You know about it? Did the Hokage-sama teach it to her?" he asked curiously.

"No, it's something she came up with on her own and showed to me a few times. It's quite dangerous, given her skill with the katana. I think you're probably one of the few in the village who could effectively counter it", she said with concern etched on her face. "Please don't do tell her use that ability freely like that anymore."

Guy's grew serious seeing her expression, "I won't it's a promise." Then he smiled and left, shutting the door as quietly as possible.

Kurenai walked over to the couch, and sat down next to Naruko, softly stroking the girl's head. She had mixed feelings about Naruko's growth. On the one hand, it allowed her to protect herself from everyone, but on the other hand, she will eventually become a ninja and be put into much more danger in the future. Kurenai just wanted Naruko… no, wanted her daughter to be safe, but she knew this was a selfish wish. It surprised her how much she had changed since meeting this girl, but she didn't think it was a bad change.

Naruko stirred, "Haha-ue?"

Smiling fondly at her daughter she asked, "Are you hungry Naruko?"


	15. Chapter 14

(A/N): For extra effect, I recommend playing "Azure Disc01 15 Cruel night" after the second paragraph.

* * *

><p>Chapter 14 – Shadow<p>

Absolute darkness was everywhere. The air was still and seemed to sap one's strength just like void in this place. There was nothing around, only the soft crying of a child could be heard. It echoed from all over the place, giving no indication of where it might originate. The sobs were incessant… and lonely. The figure of a woman slowly materialized, however she was quickly bathed by the black cloak that touched everything here.

Opening her eyes Kurenai couldn't see anything. Apprehension began to creep through her, as her heart beat faster, why couldn't she see? What is going on here? She closed her eyes again and touched them, they were still there. A sigh of relief escaped her but it was only momentary, as she soon heard the crying echoing all around. It was the voice of a child… one she was all too familiar with. Her breathing quickened again, as the air grew cold around her. She could feel her strength leaving her slowly, like a leech sucking away her blood.

This is similar to that… dream… or memory… that she experienced three years ago. Why did she not have any control here though? It felt like she was trapped and someone was choking her, purging her of her life essence. Her body wouldn't move at all. The girl's voice continued all around, it sounded so alone so lost. Opening her eyes again Kurenai tried to decipher details in the darkness, thinking her eyes might be adjusted but it was useless she couldn't see anything. Everywhere she looked there was only a black void. Kurenai closed her eyes again, trying to focus and calm down, as fear welled up inside her like a disease spreading through her body. Then she heard a voice speak to her, it sounded kind of like Naruko, but it was cold, laced with malice.

"_So you are back here again…_" she stated in an amused tone.

The other girl's voice, unlike the crying, was close by and definite, like there was a presence behind it. Kurenai felt her skin crawl, like centipedes were moving over it. She tried desperately to move but couldn't, it was like her body wasn't even her own. Her heart was beating so loudly she thought the girl nearby could probably hear it.

_Playful laughter_.

It chilled her bones and she started trembling, like a freezing gust of wind had just blown over her. What is this overwhelming feeling of helplessness? It was pitch black everywhere and she couldn't see, plus her body wouldn't move.

"_Yes… perhaps you understand it a little now_", the girl's voice said with interest, but there was a malevolent will behind it. "_This is her world… this darkness… is what she sees every day since she was born."_

Her body responded a little and Kurenai managed to push herself up on all fours facing the ground. Incredible pain soon assailed her though— blades cut into her flesh, she was beaten with various objects, and her arms and legs were lit on fire. She let out a blood curdling scream, and collapsed passing out momentarily from the shock.

_Wicked laughter_.

Kurenai's body felt like a lump of flesh and bones, it burned intensely and ached with lurid throbbing agony. Tears fell onto the cold lifeless floor.

"_This is what she experienced growing up"_, the girl's voiced sounded vaguely satisfied as it continued to torture Kurenai. "_Unfortunately for you, she has no control here, not like last time…_" the voice mused in an arrogant tone.

"Please… just don't hurt her", Kurenai managed to say brokenly as she felt her flesh being beaten again and tearing in places from the impact.

_Amused laughter_.

"_I am not here to make you understand. You seem to be under the wrong impression about a great many things…_" the girl said icily.

The other girl's cries suddenly stopped, only Kurenai's rampant breathing and groans of pain remained. Suddenly, her body was being lifted and her back slammed against something violently. The blood from her wounds slowly ran down her body. Despair filled her mind, but still she thought of her daughter's safety. This place… what is it? Why did the crying stop? Is Naruko safe? These vague thoughts ran through her mind, while her life drained away from her. She couldn't move anymore and a numbing sensation started to spread though her being.

_Mocking laughter_.

"_You should be more worried about your own safety_", the girl said slyly.

The dark cloak of blackness lifted somewhat, Kurenai weakly opened her eyes. A cold shiver passed through her body.

The girl stood there before her, a faint outline of her could be seen. Her eyes were shut, though the lids appeared flat. The hair was just like Naruko's, but the color was a dark viscous red. The skin was extremely pale and lifeless, ugly blotches of green marred her face throughout as if it was rotting away. A wicked smile played on her face with a mouth that stretched beyond the limits normally possible. She had no lips, no teeth. Instead, a foreboding darkness filled the space where they should have been. A black shrine maiden outfit covered her body, and it changed colors strangely, as if a fluid was coursing through it.

Kurenai's skin became clammy as a surreal dread permeated throughout every fiber of her being from staring at this girl. Running was not an option, since she was paralyzed from overwhelming fear. And for some reason her eyes couldn't shut, despite her desperate attempts to wash away the horrid image of the girl before her. Her bowels churned and she felt herself urinating uncontrollably.

The girl tilted her head curiously, glancing down as she heard something other than drops of blood hit the floor. Her mouth was unchanging through the motion, still curved maliciously. "_What's wrong?_" she asked in a hissing wispy tone, mouth unmoving.

Tears streamed freely down Kurenai's face as she felt like her death was imminent, her mouth had stopped working, and she felt the chill atmosphere inside it.

"_Oh yes… you will die here… slowly. You will watch in horror as I rip your limps off and feed them to you… one at a time. Did you wonder why your mouth won't work?_" the rotting girl said in a dark amused tone.

She wanted to escape. She wanted this misery to end.

"_It was foolish to come here,__** I reign over this place**__. And soon will purge that __**other**__ filthy existence, once I have gained enough strength_", the girl said in a raspy voice filled with confidence. She tilted her head at a usual angle as she eyed Kurenai's tormented figure. The girl reached for the woman's arm and grasped at connection to her hand.

It was a powerful grip that crushed the bones in Kurenai's wrist easily. She felt her arm stretch and her muscles being pulled beyond their limits. Her skin strained and she could tell it was going to rip soon, pain stabbing her body madly.

The rotting girl stopped however, her arm began shaking, and the grip on Kurenai's arm was released abruptly. She eyed it strangely through closed lids. Her face contorted and started shaking from side to side violently and rapidly. The horrid face became an eerie blur before Kurenai's eyes, which had regained some of their focus.

"_Humm… it seems I cannot kill you after all. Even in my own realm, she rejects this thought so fiercely, it prevents me from action. Who are you to her…?_" the girl's voice was pallid and subdued, reverberating oddly through the twitching. The rotting girl's head stopped shaking suddenly.

Kurenai felt her voice return, her body was released. All the pain and injuries that were inflicted disappeared immediately. Her mind eased as her sanity returned. Astonished at the turn of events, she no longer felt fear in this place, "Who—"

"_I see… so you are…_" the girl interrupted in a calm tone, which contained a hint of warmth. Though her features were unchanged, she no longer gave off a malevolent aura. Her figure started fading into the darkness.

Naruko's crying voice resumed echoing in the black void.

_Leave this place now… You cannot change things as they are._

Kurenai's heart was torn. A deep reservoir of sadness filled her being, while she listened to the soft sobbing in the darkness. She wanted to stay and seek it out, but it was impossible to tell where it came from. The voice that was compelling her to leave was certain of what it said when it spoke. She knew it belonged to the one that was just about to kill her, and despite everything, felt she wasn't lying to her. 'As they are', what did this mean? Why would she say that to her?

The words she didn't want to say were ripped from her very being. It was certainty that compelled them, but determination that drove them forward. "I am sorry Naruko… I will find a way to save you from this place someday", Kurenai said in a raw voice choked with love, tears sliding down her face. What was she saying? She wasn't even sure herself. Her mouth had moved without coherent thought.

The figure that was fading suddenly took form again, though this time it was that of Naruko. She stared silently at her adoptive mother, her face passive as always.

Her eyes widened in surprised as she saw Naruko and she wanted to rush forward, but was unable to, as her body was disappearing like petals falling from a sakura. Struggling desperately, she managed to reach out a hand.

Naruko walked forward calmly and nestled her face into the hand, before it disappeared.

* * *

><p>Light poured through the window shining its warm rays into the room. Tiny sparse specks of dust could be seen floating around. The room contained a large bed and two nightstands. Several pictures lined the flower patterned peach walls. A small walk-in closet took up half of one side of the rectangular chamber and a dresser was placed near the door to the main apartment. Kurenai shifted on the bed in the room, her face was streaked with tears. Naruko was nestled in her arms, sleeping soundly.<p>

Opening her eyes wearily, Kurenai stared vaguely at the girl next to her. She knew they hadn't slept like this after dinner. In fact, she couldn't remember Naruko ever hugging her of her own will. Yet now, she was clutching Kurenai tenderly, with her head between her mother's breasts. Was that a dream? It was so incredibly vivid, was it real? She couldn't tell. It seemed so much like the one from three years ago, where she felt like Naruko's hand had saved her.

And this time she believed she really had been saved. Who was that other person in the dream? Was that crying voice in the darkness really from the girl in her arms? A thought came to her 'as they are'. What needed to change for those words to have meaning? What triggered these two dreams or memories? There were so many questions she couldn't answer. Squeezing her daughter lovingly in her arms, she hoped the answers would come someday.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 - Care

It had been two weeks since that event, but Kurenai still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling whenever she looked at Naruko. Images of the ghastly girl's face would pop up causing her general discomfort and anxiety. The face was just so horrible it was hard to dispel the mental picture of it. And she was reminded of it frequently, because of her own daughter, who bore an uncanny resemblance in many ways. Much to her shame she could barely look at Naruko at times due to this and she was growing increasingly on agitated at her own weakness. She knew if this kept up any longer it would soon have unintended consequences, such as possibly lashing out at Naruko.

This was one the thing she feared the most. However, she knew Naruko had become aware of her unusual behavior nearly at its onset, but so far had remained silent on the matter which added to her frustration. Sitting across from her, Naruko was eating the meal Kurenai had cooked for breakfast. Today was the first day of classes this year, and would mark the first day her daughter would rejoin the others. Kurenai couldn't help but wonder how long this would last though, as Naruko would likely still continue learning at a rapid pace. What should she do? Provide Naruko with extra material from the next year during class?

She would still learn quickly, but perhaps this could keep her in the same class as the others, as she had covered the lessons normally. The extra testing could also be done out of class, this was something she had already been doing while teaching her the academy subjects. Kurenai couldn't help but wonder if this was even a desired course of action though, since these older students may not be very receptive to her presence as was shown previously with other students during her breaks with them in previous years. Sighing, she concentrated on finishing her food.

Naruko finished eating and stared silently at Kurenai watching her eat. Things had been strange for quite some time between her and her mother, and the feeling it brought was tying her stomach in knots. She knew it had something to do with her face, but also realized that nothing in that regard had changed recently. Perhaps she could somehow change her face, so it looked different than normal? A thought quickly came to mind, as her mother finished eating. "Haha-ue, I want to show you something that I've not shown you before", Naruko spoke up suddenly.

Kurenai stopped in wonder, when she was about to put up the dishes. Whenever Naruko was speaking directly to her, she was able to fixate her gaze properly without worry, because of the movement of her mouth. This was totally out of place from the malicious girl's image, whose disturbing maw lacked articulation when she spoke. "What is it Naruko?" Kurenai asked in a light tone, as she moved over to stand in front of the sitting girl.

"Please come closer", Naruko said, as she beckoned.

Curious now, Kurenai moved closer and crossed arms together on Naruko's lap. This reminded her of when they practiced hand symbols together as a game sometimes. "Sooo… what do you have to show me?" she prodded in a playful tone.

Naruko's eyelids twitched slightly then she opened them.

This was the first time Kurenai had ever seen them, since they'd been together. Her pupils were pure white and her iris a very light blue color. They reminded her of when she started into the sky with clouds flowing by, it was peaceful and serene. The eyes were unfocused and lacked any sense of recognition, but possessed moisture and life. It was an indescribable feeling witnessing them, and for some reason Kurenai couldn't help but be reminded of her daughter's purity as she stared into those unique orbs of hers. How could she mistake her for that wicked presence? Feelings of guilt assailed her and tears started running down her cheeks.

Naruko's face seemed to lighten, as she sensed a change in her mother. She spoke nonchalantly, "I think this helped, right haha-ue?"

She reached over and hugged the girl affectingly, speaking in a sappy voice, "Yes… yes it did Naruko, thank you…" The visage of the other girl became indistinct and faded from her memory, replaced by that of Naruko. Kurenai wished she could see her smile someday, but for now this was enough.

"We should probably get going soon, classes start today", Naruko stated in a slightly raised voice, while stroking Kurenai's hair, something she knew made her relax.

Squeezing Naruko tightly again one more time, Kurenai stood up and wiped her eyes, smiling in contentment, "Your right, we'd better hurry. It would be bad if the teacher and one of her students showed up tardy on the first day."

* * *

><p>The children in the classroom were talking amongst each other, telling tales or describing things they did during their break from the academy. As Naruko entered the classroom many of them broke away from their conversations and turned their attention her. It was nearly time for classes to begin so all the other students were already there. Some of them wore curious stares, while others had disgusted faces, and a few even appeared hostile as they whispered among themselves, then jerked a finger in her direction. Most of them had already encountered Naruko in the previous year during their breaks, and were among some of the ones that had bullied or made fun of her.<p>

The classroom was a typical elevated style that had four rows of desks which sat three students per desk with three sections separated by isles. It was largely made out of wood with white plaster filling so the walls, aside from the windows and green board. All of the seats were filled except two, on the second row. A black haired boy wearing a blue shirt with a symbol on the back, white cloth wrist wraps, and a pair of white shorts, sat on the furthest chair against the wall on the desk. The two seats to the left of him were the ones that were open. He wore a severe uninterested expression paying little attention to his surroundings, having not even noticed Naruko enter, being seemingly lost I thought.

Hinata saw Naruko as well, when she walked into the classroom and had felt a sudden impulse to greet her, but she hesitated. Looking around it was clear the others, even the curious ones, wanted nothing to do with Naruko and appeared afraid of the boy sitting at the desk. Staring nervously between the girl she had known for some time and her desk, which was on the last row in the middle, she was torn over what to do and started fidgeting.

Naruko paused for a moment, when she reached the first isle, then walked up to the desk with the two empty seats. She stared at the black haired boy and asked casually, "Is there anyone sitting next to you?"

The boy, who had his arms cross on the desk, immediately became irritated and clicked this tongue. He started to look over at her, replying in a harsh tone, "Can't you see for yourself idiot? Why are—", he stopped in mid sentence when he noticed her eyes were closed. So this is the rumored 'blind' ninja? How ridiculous. Smirking, he followed up condescendingly, "Yea, the seat is empty, careful you don't hurt yourself trying to sit in it."

Several students laughed at his snide comment, and more students started watching.

Oblivious to the boy's attitude, Naruko replied indifferently, "Thank you, I will try not to." Taking off her sash, which had her katana and ninja pouch, she carefully stowed them under the desk. She then sat down near the boy, leaving enough room for one more person.

"Humph, it appears you're not quite so useless. You can sit down normally at least", the boy sneered as he watched her.

More students laughed this time around.

Hinata had watched the exchange warily, knowing a little about the boy with the strange symbol on his shirt. Unlike the people in the village, who were mainly only hostile towards Naruko and to a lesser degree to her mother, he was that way towards just about everyone. Rarely listening to or acknowledging anyone even the instructors.

Looking over at the boy, Naruko just remained silent in thought. He reminded her of the others who often attacked or tormented her around the village, should she really engage in further conversation? It would probably only lead to more harassment. She just wanted to study together with the others in peace for a while, even if only at school.

The boy, who was expecting her to say something in return, became cocky at her silence, "Too scared to come up with a reply, sightless one? I am surprised they even allowed someone so pathetic to enter the academy."

All attention was now focused on the both of them.

Watching Naruko saying nothing in her defense was eating away at Hinata, but it also reminded her so much of herself and the situation she was in with her father. She wanted to do something, but knew as soon as she did, their eyes would be direct to her. The girls sitting next to Hinata stared at her strangely because of her fidgeting and glanced at each other exchanging curious looks. These looks made her become even more anxious, further deteriorating her resolve. And in the end, she couldn't do it, and only watched on with a worried face.

Kurenai walked in at that moment, and headed towards the podium.

The students, whom were expecting something to occur between the two, let out disappointed sighs when this happened.

Hinata sighed as well, but in relief, though she was also ashamed she couldn't help.

Placing her attendance booklet on the podium Kurenai spoke loudly, "Good morning everyone, I trust you all enjoy your breaks from classes?"

Some students nodded or replied in confirmation, but a few were clearly downtrodden by the reminder that it was over.

"I see, well then before I take role, is there anyone who wants to change their seats? These arrangements will be final for the year, so if you're not satisfied with where you are now please say so, and we'll try to work something out", she said with a casual glance at the empty seat next to Naruko as well as the boy beside her. Looking around, she saw Hinata seated at the very back. She looked like she wanted to say something but stayed quiet, probably due to her shyness Kurenai assumed.

Remembering how she had acted around her when she came to visit Naruko on a few occasions, she was certain this was the case. When she saw her gaze shift to the empty seat next to Naruko, Kurenai felt she should help the girl out, "If you are not quite sure yet, you can talk to me when the lessons are over as well, but you must decide before the week is out."

After classes several students requested seating changes, and as Kurenai made note of them, they left. Naruko bid her goodbye, before leaving for her practice with the Hokage. The day had went by nearly the same as when Naruko had been taught alone, only Hinata spoke to her during the breaks a little, and she was picked on and made fun of by the others along with Naruko for doing so. Kurenai still hoped things would change somewhat, when her daughter started testing along with the others.

Hinata was the last in the classroom, walking up to Kurenai a bit flustered. "Umm… Yuhi-sensei, I'd like to change my seat too..." she asked as she looked to her instructor.

Kurenai smiled at her, "I don't mind hearing your request, but would you like to come somewhere with me for a little while first?" She was curious as to what this girl thought about Naruko, and their relationship. Kurenai was aware the two have been talking and hanging out for quite some time but their interactions were always very awkward, so she wanted to help them to if she could.

"Somewhere…?" Hinata pursed innocently.

"To see Naruko", she added with a grin. "You don't mind right?"

Hinata blushed and looked down, "Oo-ok."

* * *

><p>Kurenai and Hinata sat together on a small bench overlooking a training yard, near the Sarutobi residence. It was still a couple of hours before dusk, so there was plenty of sunlight around. The shade of a tree hung over them, while the clink of steel rang through the field between the Hokage and Naruko. The two would occasionally stop and Hiruzen would provide his pupil with instructions or tips, before resuming their swordplay. It was clear he greatly enjoyed the act, both of training and fighting her, as he was always in high spirits throughout. For Naruko's part, she was very attentive to his every word, but would always make improvisations when Hiruzen would give her an opening. This pleased him greatly, and he often praised her efforts for doing so.<p>

Hinata was awestruck by the spectacle of watching Naruko and the Hokage spar together. Their rapid sword strikes would often create sparks which flashed brilliantly in the sunlight as they danced around the courtyard. She felt a bit envious and inspired at the same time by the Hokage, whom could fight with Naruko like that, with his own weapon.

Sitting in silence next to Hinata, Kurenai was also interested in watching the two. Though it was clear to her, that the Hokage was still leagues above Naruko in skill and experience, her daughter had improved dramatically since they had started training over three years ago. She noted in particular her physical abilities , especially speed, were improving radically due to Guy's weights, and she was showing signs of soon surpassing the much older Hiruzen. Her stamina and chakra, she knew, was already better than the Hokage's. This was likely an inheritance from the Uzumaki bloodline, which was noted for its incredible endurance and vitality. Glancing at Hinata, she decided it was a good time to get things going since the two on the field had stopped for a break to discuss something, "You want to sit next to Naruko in class right Hinata?"

Hinata nodded meekly and looked up at Kurenai, "If that's ok with Naruko."

"She won't mind at all", Kurenai said confidently. "By the way, when did you start referring to Naruko without honorifics?" she added teasingly.

A flush crept through Hinata's face and she looked away, mumbling incoherently while fiddling with her dark blue trousers. It took her a bit to calm down enough to make sense, "I-I'm not really sure, a while ago I think…"

Kurenai smiled and continued, "What do you think about Naruko?"

"I think… she's very pretty and strong and the way she talks is kind of strange—", Hinata said in a fluster then took a breath before adding "she is always trying to help me improve and is never mean to me."

"So do you like Naruko then?" Kurenai asked warmly, staring fondly at the girl.

Hinata's gaze shifted to Naruko on the training yard, Hiruzen was the only one talking now while his student listened attentively. "…I do", Hinata replied in a small voice.

Kurenai was happy to hear those words, even though it was already clear beforehand what the young girl's feelings were. These two could definitely become friends, if only Naruko could recognize what it was to like someone in return. Deciding to give Hinata one more shove in that direction she continued, "You should ask Naruko what she thinks about you Hinata."

It was like Kurenai had read her mind, for that was exactly what she wanted to know at this point, because she had no idea. Hinata was very nervous about doing so however, since she had never asked anyone something like that before.

"It will probably be a bit of work to get an answer out of her…", Kurenai added playfully, "but I am sure Naruko feels the same about you Hinata"

Hinata brightened considerably upon hearing this, and looked up at Kurenai, "Do you really think so Yuhi-sensei?

"I am sure of it!" she replied confidently with a big smile.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – Right of Passage

Overlooking the rest of the village, Naruko sat on the edge of the flat dome on top of Hokage's office. It was nearly noon, she could tell due to the warmth. Seemingly lost in thought, she was concentrating on the different sounds that could be heard: people's voices, their movements, objects being relocated or passed around, and various critters that inhabited the village. Her chakra was sent out in circular emanations, to improve her hearing and sense of touch, and was like a hand passing over everything. Very similar to the waves created when an object hits the surface of a still body of water, except in orb like patterns. One of the most important things Hiruzen-sensei taught her, was that she since she was blind, sharpening her other senses was critical to being able to survive as a ninja. Though this advice was completely unnecessary, since it was something she did so naturally, as well as in practice.

Being able to differentiate allies from enemies was an essential requirement for a ninja and most people did this through sight, which Hiruzen pointed out, was often unreliable in many circumstances. Knowing a person's mannerisms, expressions, and traits was essential in this regard, since these were among the few other ways to identify them visually. Naruko had two advantages to this end. She had a vastly superior sense of hearing that was numerous times better than other ninja. This was good enough to allow her to detect even something as minute as other people's heartbeats, from a significant distance. Her sense of touch was greatly enhanced as well, complementing her hearing, and providing her with the ability to feel even the even slight disturbances in the environment around her.

These traits created an entirely different set of characteristics that were, in many circumstances, far more reliable than visual cues, to identify people and is what the Hokage decided made her a great sensory type ninja. Though Naruko appeared to appreciate these sentiments, having come to understand what it was to be praised, she still sometimes thought about what it would be like to see as normal people do. It was a concept that was essentially impossible to realize, since she lacked the basic capacity to, having been blind from birth. This never deterred her curiosity on the matter though, and she frequently questioned the only people she knew about it. Sensing her sensei approach, Naruko stood up and turned around.

He had been trying to sneak up on her, this having become a test he devised, to both determine and measure her abilities. But he failed fairly quickly though, before he even got anywhere near the rooftop, much to his chagrin. It was evident her senses grown well beyond the limits of his stealth as a ninja. Giving up for the time being, he jumped over the rest of the way and landed nearby. As he walked towards her, he wondered if he should try and use a sound based genjutsu on her to be more successful, as well as aid her in learning to counter those. Though he had another more serious matter to discuss in mind first though, that he hoped he could make her understand better as time went on.

"Good morning Hiruzen-sensei," Naruko placed her hands together in front of herself and bowed deeply causing her hair to lightly touch the ground.

"Good morning Naruko. If you could, just return to where you were sitting, I will join you since we are just talking for now," he replied kindly. Though he was used to her nearly unfailing manners at this point, it was something he still occasionally thought about. The contrast between Naruko, and many of the other ninja's under him, was often vast in this aspect. Unlike her, they often barely met with adequate forms of respect, even when talking to him personally. There had been numerous instances of insolent behavior and speech, with a few occasions even bordering on insubordination.

He wondered if he had become too soft in this regard, as rarely, did he rebuke or correct others for this. The Hokage knew discipline was necessary, he had no doubts of this, but could never get himself to lecture others for their lack of manners or protocol. Seeing Naruko though, often giving up on her own comfort and appearance, which she took great care of— he couldn't help but think he had made a mistake on this matter. Sitting down next to her, he set his cap down beside him between them, and a long slender object covered in a cloth next to him.

Gazing over at him, Naruko could tell he wasn't his usual self, "What is wrong Hiruzen-sensei?"

"Nothing really… do you want to hear a story?" he asked in a wizened voice.

She nodded. "I think your stories are very interesting, so I am always ready to listen to them", she replied nonchalantly.

Closing his eyes a moment, he took in a breath, and looked over the city. "There was a time, long ago when a boy around your age, asked his teachers why they fought and killed other people. The teachers were surprised at the question, but they had a ready answer, as if it was something they knew instinctively. They said people have many reasons for fighting each other. Some do it for their families, friends, or loved ones. Others did it for greed, thinking nothing about ending the life of another, if it meant more money. And lastly, some people did it to advance their own station in life, preferring to usurp or battle against the control of another to make their own lives more meaningful or free from some burden. The justifications were many they said, some of which in the eyes of the majority might even be viewed as petty. In the village of Konoha though, they believed all their efforts were for the sake of bringing peace."

Naruko knew that word, it was something that she thought about every time she would be harassed or attacked by others.

"They said this was called the 'Will of Fire', a concept based around the thinking that love is the key to establishing harmony around our land. Both of the teachers believed in it strongly, and hoped that one day the boy would come to understand it and pass it on to future generations of shinobi," he finished and looked at Naruko meaningfully.

Turning towards him, she had an unreadable expression on her face, "So is that something that you want me to learn Hiruzen-sensei?"

His feelings became uncertain, when he saw her face, and he ended up giving an ambiguous reply. "…I just wanted you to be aware of it. Every ninja has to choose and follow their own path in life based on their personal experiences. This is what promotes a sense of freedom and makes each and every individual unique." In truth, he did want to her to follow it. Naruko had tremendous potential, just like her father before her.

But to place her on this path would be an extremely selfish and vain wish of an old man, considering how the villagers treated her. He knew she would likely listen to him and put forth her best efforts, but would she even ever be accepted? When she attained the power and experience necessary to become a Hokage? Even in all his wisdom he couldn't say, but many shadows of doubt clouded his thinking on this matter.

To put her in this position would mean self-sacrifice for her, and this was something she absolutely did not deserve. Naruko was already living in a similar situation, not of her own making. He couldn't bear the thought of forcing this as well upon her. It would be her decision, just as her training had been. Feeling that enough time had passed, he decided to dispense with the last thing on his mind, before training her. Picking up the cloth wrapped object next to him, he held it up before Naruko.

"Is that for me Hiruzen-sensei? I already have a sword," she said in confusion.

He smiled a bit, "Yes it is…" Pulling off the cloth revealed an exquisite obsidian sheath which held a katana. The oval hilt was intricately carved and had a silver metallic sheen, just like the butt of the grip. This was also black and silver and was wrapped in a standard crossing pattern. "This katana is very special Naruko, unlike that one you have now," he looked directly at it and his eyes became distant, remembering something.

"How is it special?" she probed curiously.

"It was crafted many years ago, by an ancient sword smith known as Masamune, and it is said to be his finest work, named directly after him. In all the battles it has seen, it has never been once chipped, cracked, or dulled, and has exchanged hands with many famous ninja and samurai alike," he stated proudly.

Naruko was clearly hesitant as she spoke, "I am not sure I should have something so important Hiruzen-sensei."

His denial was quick and firm, "No, I believe you, if anyone, should have it Naruko."

She became lost in thought for a moment. Then, pulling her legs from over the edge, she sat in seiza before him and lowered her head almost all the way to the ground, "Thank you very much Hiruzen-sensei, I gladly accept and will take care of this gift."

The Hokage nodded approvingly and held the weapon towards to her.

Lifting her gaze up, she reached out and took it reverently with both hands. Holding the katana brought her a strange feeling. She moved her hand carefully towards the hilt, and spread it apart. The blade hummed slightly as she did so, and her face brightened in awe for the first time in her life. Her mouth gaped open vacantly— it was like the weapon was specifically crafted for her! The details were crystal clear in her mind and she could even make out the wavy pattern along the edge. It was such a surreal sensation for Naruko, she was at a complete loss.

The old man too was astonished to see the effect the katana had on her and was deeply pleased by his decision to give it to her. Even more so, than the marked show of gratitude she displayed towards him. As words could not describe how he felt to see his pupil's overt show of emotion, after all this time. "I am very happy you like it Naruko," he spoke in a heartwarming voice, picking up his hat.

Closing the gap abruptly, she nodded with a very faint flush on her face.

The Hokage stood up and Naruko followed suit, holding Masamune on her thighs with both hands.

"Now for today's lesson, I will teach you how to use a powerful B-rank skill that will take advantage of your large chakra reserves, it is called Shadow Clone Jutsu," he spoke in his serious instructor voice. He related to her everything he knew about the technique, its strengths, weaknesses, and the shared learning experience from the clones. Stressing particularly, that the fewer clones she made, the stronger they were, requiring them to suffer more damage before being dispelled.

Naruko listened intently to everything he said as the day went on, and with a renewed vigor, since to the acquisition of the ancient katana.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 - Bond

Sitting next to Naruko on the riverbank, Hinata had a sullen look on her face. It was a little past sunset now and she was watching Naruko play with her hair, as they rested. Thinking back, she has lost every single match with the other girl today so far. Though she was accustomed to losing to some extent, this was the first time she had not been able to win against Naruko during one of their sparring sessions, even despite the fact she had taken her weights off. She'd been trying to keep quiet about it, but her frustration finally reached its limit, and she decided to speak her mind, "Why did you cheat so much today Naruko?"

Naruko glanced over at her with a puzzled expression, "Cheat? What do you mean?"

Hinata became even more irritated at the response, puffing her cheeks out and complaining, "You know exactly what I mean! All the dirty tricks you played on me today while we were fighting!"

She seemed thoughtful for a moment, as she glanced at the river than back at Hinata, "You mean with kicking water in your face, making you trip on the rocks and branches, using ninjutsus—"

Hinata flushed and pouted, "See, you knew what I meant!"

"Well…" Naruko was hesitant to answer and looked back the river again, cupping and stroking bundles of her hair awkwardly. "I asked Hiruzen-sensei how I could beat you, since you win so much when we're fighting. He said I should take advantage of the area we're fighting at, and my other abilities, since I can't use my sword." Looking back at Hinata she asked in a low tone, "Should I not have?"

It was clear Hinata had mixed feelings on the matter, and wasn't sure what to say. Pulling her legs up, she hugged her own knees and rested her head on them staring silently at the river, "So you wanted to win against me more often?"

"No, I just want to be a better partner for you, because you can't improve as much unless it's difficult to win. Hiruzen-sensei said if a fight is too easy, the experience gained from it won't be as valuable," she replied calmly.

Turning her head towards the other girl, Hinata spoke softly, "So you did those things to help me get better?"

Naruko nodded and said, "That's why I suggested using the weights, fighting on the water, on the trees, and tried those distractions today. It helps me too, to try those things, and I think it's better if we both learn them together."

Hinata felt a bit ashamed now of her behavior now. Naruko, despite her often strange suggestions for their matches, was only doing it to help her improve, even though she didn't really have to. Feeling a pleasent warmth flow through her body, she recalled what Yuhi-sensei said to her the other day 'You should ask Naruko what she thinks about you…'

Without Hinata realizing it, Naruko had moved closer to her, and spoke right next to her. "If you'd rather win more, I won't do all those extra things," Naruko said nonchalantly.

Their close proximity made Hinata very nervous, her heartbeat sped up, she buried her face on the sleeve of her dark blue ninja garb. "I… don't mind anymore," Hinata said in a muffled voice, staring at her own arm.

Naruko still didn't seem convinced, and shifted her position quietly, kneeling right next to and slightly in front of Hinata, as she curiously gazing at the other girl's hidden face. Though she could make out details about the Hinata's face, she had never touched it directly and found herself now draw to it for some reason. "Are you sure? You're acting kind of—"

Before Naruko could finish, Hinata glanced up quickly when she heard the other girl's voice right in front of her nose, she panicked, "Waaah—!" She quickly tried to scramble away, but instead slipped on the grass and kicked one of Naruko's knees out from under her.

Losing her balance, Naruko fell forward onto the retreating Hinata, and as their bodies collided she gasped, "Umph." Fortunately their heads didn't hit each other and Naruko slowly lifted herself up with her arms, staring with her closed eyes at the disoriented Hinata, Naruko asked softly, "Are you okay?"

Opening her eyes in a daze, Hinata saw Naruko right above her with arms to her sides, and hair cascading around her body. Her heart was beating fast and loudly now, but looking up at her, Hinata thought just how pretty Naruko was and how silly her reaction must have seemed. She also thought about how this girl was bullied by everyone, except a few people including herself, but never said or did anything against them. And she knew Naruko would never do anything to intentionally hurt her, and yet she was startled so much she tried to get away, it must have been so awkward. Hinata realized her face must be a bright red mask right now as Naruko's hair lightly stroked her face in the evening breeze. "I am ok…really…" she replied bashfully, while looking away.

Only her curiosity remaining, now that the previous question was reaffirmed, Naruko felt compelled to ask, "Do you mind if I touch your face Hinata-san?"

"Umm…" Hinata felt her face, if possible, become even warmer. It was like all the blood in her body had suddenly drained into her head. "You… want to know what I look like…?" she managed asked meekly.

Naruko nodded, causing her hair to caress the other girl's face. It was something she had only done to one other person so far, and felt like she really wanted to know more about this other girl who she was with so much.

"Well… I guess I don't mind…" she replied in a small voice.

Moving off of Hinata, Naruko sat in seiza next to her.

Seeing her changing positions, Hinata sat up as well, feeling a bit dizzy at the same time. Shaking her head a bit, she turned to face the other girl, folding her legs under her body. Crossing her arms on her lap she leaned forward slightly, "Is this good?"

"Yes, I can reach you just fine," Naruko replied then stretched her hands out to touch Hinata's face. "Can you close your eyes too?"

Hinata blushed and asked anxiously, "You're not going to do anything… weird right?" She remembered seeing in some mangas the other girls at school brought, that people would close their eyes when they kissed.

"I am not sure what you mean by weird? Is touching your face weird?" Naruko asked in confusion.

Her face was becoming hot again, "No no… I mean... kissing…"

Becoming even more perplexed, Naruko's hands dropped down to her lap, "What does 'kissing' mean? I've never heard that word before."

Why did she even mention that? Embarrassed, she said in a fluster, "It's okay, don't worry about it! I'll close my eyes now."

"Humm, if you say so," Naruko replied indifferently. Reaching up again, she started to touch Hinata's face softly. Her hand moved over it slowly, absorbing every texture, curve, shape, and bump.

Despite the other girl's rough hands, Hinata could tell she was trying to be very gentle about touching her face. It also reminded her of the time they braided Naruko's hair together. The movement of her hands was very methodical and careful as if trying to ascertain every detail about her face. It was a very pleasant sensation, and in the waning hours of the day, was making Hinata a bit drowsy. Having calmed down now, she recalled, while trying to come up with something to talk about, what she wanted to ask earlier, "Naruko, can I ask you something?

Continuing her caressing, "What is it Hinata-san?"

"Do you… like me?" she asked in almost a whisper.

"Like… I haven't figured out what word means, when you talk about yourself…" Naruko replied distantly. Removing her hands from Hinata's face, she clasped them together on her own lap.

Opening her eyes, Hinata stared at her in surprise, "You know… something you think is good… or sweet… a fruit maybe. When you eat food and think it's good, and you want to eat it again because of that… Or eat a candy again because it is sweet and tasty." Hinata wasn't quite sure she was getting the message across, so she stopped and waited for a reply.

"So… I 'like' something if I want to eat it again after tasting it?" Naruko asked curiously.

"Yes, that's right!" Hinata replied happily.

Naruko cocked her head, and played with her hair a bit, "I am not sure, I haven't tasted you yet…" Leaning forward she asked, "Can I lick you, maybe I could tell then?"

"What?" Hinata said in a panic, shrinking away a bit. "No… umm… that's not really quite right…" Confused, she sat in silence trying think about a different way to go about it.

It was getting quite late now, Naruko realized, as she felt the air around them becoming cooler. She wondered what time it was, and stared up at the sky vaguely. They had already eaten dinner, so there probably wasn't anything in particular to be concerned about she thought, and then shifted her attention back to Hinata.

"Do you think… that doing stuff with me is fun… or interesting?" she finally asked.

"Fun… that is something that happens when you play games isn't it?" Naruko pursed, trying to sort out the strange sensations she remembered.

"Well… not all games are fun for everyone, but sometimes," she said, at a bit of a loss.

Thinking about it carefully, Naruko replied tentatively, "I kind of understand now, even though we haven't played many games together. I find stuff I learn about you to be interesting… so does that mean I like you?"

Hinata started fidgeting and replied softly, while blushing, "I think so. At least… that is sort of how I like you."

"Humm… I like you too then Hinata-san", Naruko said with a soft expression. It was a strangely pleasant sensation for her, being able to finally piece some of the things she had felt in the past, but could never understand. Thinking about it now, she knew that she also liked her mother and Hiruzen-sensei as well. She associated the word differently between them, but it was clear in her mind that they also brought a similar sensation, as she had now for this girl.

Hinata couldn't remember being quite this happy before in her life, it was such a warm peaceful sensation that made her body tingle with excitement. All the time they had spent together had suddenly become more meaningful and fulfilling. Nothing else she had done felt quite like this and she truly was looking forward to spending even more time with Naruko. Feeling quite perky, Hinata decided to ask something she frequently held back on, "Can I play with your hair Naruko?"

Naruko, despite her newfound feelings, quickly decided to divert the question, after remembering how her hair turned out the last time she allowed Hinata to 'play' with it. Terrible knots, tangles, and strange braids that took her almost half a day to get sorted out. Gazing around again, Naruko said mildly, "I think it's probably a bit too late for that now, maybe some other time?"

Realizing just how late it was Hinata sighed and pouted, "I suppose so…" Though she couldn't help but feel she was cheated somehow, as they gathered their things and left.

* * *

><p>(AN): I hope everyone has enjoyed the story so far. Things will be getting a bit darker from here on out, as the element of death will start playing into the equation, along with a slew of other stuff I've been planning. This includes an 'extra scene' which is not be posted here with the main story, due to its somewhat twisted nature, but is an important element of it nonetheless. Barring any significant detractors from my time and interest, this will probably be a fairly long piece of writing, as I like Hinata and will try to build a realistic relationship between her and Naruko as time goes on. And lastly, I want to thank everyone for all their interest and feedback up to this point.


	19. Intermission 2

(A/N): When you reach the second section I recommend listening to 'Azure Disc02 06 discord'.

* * *

><p>Intermission 2 – Lost Innocence<p>

After learning the Shadow Clone technique, Naruko began to use it heavily in her various training both with Hiruzen and Hinata, whenever they sparred. The normal stresses with utilizing such an intensive method didn't affect her very much, since not only did she have an affinity for practice, but the additional feedback actually awakened her senses and feelings even more, almost like an addiction. The two girls' usage of Guy's weights vastly improved their physical abilities during the course of the next couple of years. This was especially true for Naruko, who after her initial battle with the noble green beast, continued to have matches with him on occasion.

And following each time, he kept giving her even heavier weights, so he could have even more exciting fights with her. Since no one other than his long time rival Kakashi, whenever he could actually convince him, was willing to fight the eccentric and powerful man. She also continually met the Jounin's increasingly high expectations, to the point where, despite her being a young female, he had to start fighting back to avoid injury. Naturally, Naruko felt compelled to give her older weights to Hinata, who with her newfound liking for the other girl, gladly accepted them to compete on more even terms with her.

Naruko also became a bit more open and expressive with time. She would often indicate her own desires and attitude towards food and a few other things, though still only around the three people she had come to like. Her mother was pleased by this change, but still was not able to spoil her ever practical daughter. She noted however that Naruko had still never smiled about anything, which made her feel like there was something that was missing. Kurenai's was never discouraged despite this, and she continued to pour her love and affection on the daughter she had become so attached to. This determination was frequently built upon further through Hinata, who Kurenai also had come to like through her connection with Naruko.

Later, with a bit of guidance from Kurenai, the girls came to know of friendship, and quickly afterwards became thus. They were together even more often following this connection, and Hinata started to develop a protective streak towards Naruko. Although she still didn't directly confront the individuals, who continued to harass her friend, she would frequently gently try to lead her away from them, whenever she could. This also made her more open with her own family, particularly her father, who was pleased to see her incredible advancement as time went by.

He developed a curiosity towards this other girl who had affected his daughter's attitude and personality so much. Causing Hiashi to occasionally slip in a question about her, and eventually coming to discover, they had become friends. This surprised him quite a bit, and made him wonder about the way he had been raising Hinata. When the question of the girls name came up later, his daughter was quick to become silent and defensive. It concerned him as to the reason behind this, but he chose to respect her privacy on the matter, in favor of her continued improvement and enthusiasm about her training. Hinata had already much surpassed her younger sister well before this point, and he had questioned, on numerous occasions, his decision of succession. It wasn't a particularly pressing matter though, so he was obligated to leave things as they were for the time being.

Naruko's high aptitude eventually started to become known among the students in the class, their reactions were assorted, though everyone except Hinata was initially surprised. Many of the students' attitudes continued to be very negative towards her, particularly after they found out Kurenai was Naruko's adoptive mother. Though they usually remained silent about it in class, they would often accuse her of cheating on the paper tests because of their relationship, and they started making fun of her lack of social ability. Having only one friend and the fact she rarely spoke to others in the class, made her an easy target for this. The boy, who sat next to her named Sasuke, developed an open contempt for Naruko and would often try to outdo her, just so he could ridicule her.

He was successful about half the time in the ninjutsu, and always outdid her in the use of ninja tools, which she was still not very good at. Hinata and Naruko both did significantly better than him in taijutsu though, and were usually paired together, due to the others inability to keep up with either of them. Naruko, during this time, was still not allowed to use her sword against others, which made most of the students question whether she could even use it or think she just carried it to stand out. These thoughts and feelings largely continued into the second year.

As Kurenai had predicted, her daughter continued to learn at a rapid pace, and she decided to follow through on her plan to continue teaching Naruko in the same class, but with the addition of some of the final year's material. She did this cleverly by adding the content in on top of the day's normally lessons. This kept her in pace with the rest of the class, while still engaging Naruko further with the more advanced content. A bit of cooperation was required from her daughter though, who was told to only ask questions which pertained to the current year. This continued smoothly into the second year, what would be the last year for Naruko, as she would finish picking up everything from the final year of class at the same time.

Hinata was very saddened, though not surprised, when she learned about Naruko's early graduation. It was a bit informal since she was the only one from the class who took the final exams, but Hinata was allowed to watch her and happily congratulated her afterwards, along with Kurenai and the Hokage. Guy lamented not being able to attend, since he was off on a mission at the time, but to make up for it took her out to eat and had one final match, which he enjoyed tremendously.

Many things changed from that point on. Kurenai was promoted to a Jounin, and assigned to carry out high ranking missions, leaving her class to be taught by another Chuunin named Iruka. The Hokage removed Naruko's restriction in the use of her katana. And she was assigned to a team with two other genin who had graduated normally in their third year, with a Jounin to watch over them. The two teenage boys showed their dislike of her openly, from the onset, and she got along with them very poorly through most of the missions they went on. The Jounin however was very kind, often praising her abilities and ingenuity. Naruko was initially very perplexed by this unusual treatment, but as time went on, she slowly started letting her guard down around him. The team completed over a dozen D-Rank and eight C-Rank missions together over a period of six months, until they were assigned another C-Rank outside of the Land of Fire and mysteriously disappeared…

* * *

><p>Rain poured down all around and thunder flashed in the distance. The skies were chocked with grey ominous clouds that emitted droplets like a sponge, bathing the world in a torrent of unceasing water. Being several hours past sunset now, there was only darkness and shadows flitting through the trees alongside the poorly traveled path. A couple of small figures lay along the grassy banks, their bodies were inert and missing an arm and a leg.<p>

Puncture wounds from a blade leaked out blood from where their hearts were located, it was clear they were dying or already dead. Two people stared at each other from opposite sides of the road. One was that of a girl, just barely in her teens, wearing a shrine maiden outfit. She was kneeling weakly in the mud using her katana for support. The other, was an older man, with white pupils and irises. He was dressed in a typical dark ninja garb with a flak jacket, and wearing a sadistic smile.

"I am surprised you were able to dispatch the other two genin so quickly," he cackled. "Who would have believed they would turn out to be so worthless, despite all the time I spent selecting them. They were good distractions at least."He smirked slyly.

She had killed them to protect herself, but it felt so wrong for some reason. Breathing heavily with blood caking her lips, the girl spoke softly, "Why… are you doing this? The mission… the others... what is going on?"

"Oh? You still haven't figured that out? This is revenge of course… or at least that's what I told the other two," he laughed darkly, as he glanced at them. "In truth, since it matters little at this point, this is about you my dear little doll."

Her face was a mask of confusion. So the other two had fought her because he had manipulated them? But he said revenge… did this have to do with the villagers' attitude towards her as well?

"The other two genin, this team, and especially this mission, it was all a farce, so I could get to you again…" the man licked his lips lecherously.

The girl's head throbbed and she winced in pain, "What… are you—"

He took a few menacing steps towards her, interrupting her words, "It appears you still don't remember my lovely little flower. Humm, I suppose that's understandable given your age at the time." A cold smile broke across his face, accentuated by a flash of lightning in the distance. Running a hand through his wet cropped hair, he let out a sigh of disappointment, "I was hoping the memory would still be eating away at you, but alas it seems you need a reminder."

Something that happened in the past… there were too many awful things. She couldn't even begin to guess. A coughing fit shook her body and she spewed out more blood, fighting to remain awake and able to react, it was obvious she was suffering from some internal injuries.

"Now now… don't go dying on me, I have intention of killing you after all," he grinned maliciously, coming a bit closer. "And it would be much more fun if you're conscious like last time… Do you remember that knock on your door that day? I doubt you'd forget that at least, given how exceptional you turned out to be, graduating from the new curriculum one year early, despite having started later than everyone else. Quite an accomplishment," he said condescendingly, with an air of superiority about him.

A knock on her door… There were only a few times that ever happened. She could count them on one of her hands. Her senses were becoming muddled now, and she struggled to hear his words clearly, speaking weakly, "You are…"

A sadistic smile crept across his face again, "Has your memory started clearing up a bit my little dove? Yes… I was the one that sealed your chakra, in our little 'play' beforehand. Though I do wish you did not bear quite so many scars, it ruined my mood a little. Your screams and struggling however more than made up for that." He chortled nefariously.

The girl's hand tightened around the grip of her katana fiercely and shook. Her face was in anguish, as the memory came flooding back to her. That festival, when all the explosions and joyous laughter echoed around her, she had been stuck at home lonely, and in the chaos of the celebration, had lost something important. Her mind, which was barely being held together due to all the torment the villagers had inflicted upon her, had been broken that day along with her body. Tears streamed down her face, and she placed her other hand on the katana's hilt. "Why… did you do that…? I didn't even know you… never did anything to you," she said brokenly as rain mixed with the fluid from her eyes continued to flow unchecked.

"Why?" he laughed obnoxiously. "Still playing benign I see, despite murdering these other two genin," he smiled wickedly. "What will people say, I wonder?" he added playfully.

Her head hurt immensely. What is this pain she has never felt before? It was tearing her apart, and she could barely stand it. Her breathing was heavy, she felt like she was falling as words, that were not her own, suddenly came to her. "I won't… let you have your way again…" she said through ragged gasps.

"Well, is seems you still have some fire in you left after all. I thought you would be frightened like babe by now, after regaining that memory. Perhaps all that time with that witch has made you a bit stronger?" he grinned, becoming exultant at the prospect of conquering this strong willed girl, it made his blood boil and his body ache with desire.

She tried to get up but faltered a few times, shivering from the rain. Her mind was in chaos, emotions she had always felt but could not understand, all the hate and abuse she had suffered newly realized, and her distance even from those who took care of her and tried to help her. It was all so clear now, tormenting and eating away at her psyche threatening to destroy her sense of reality and sanity. What is wrong with me? Hinata, Kurenai, and Hiruzen they had all done so much for her, but the way she acted in return… Why was I so unfeeling! Countless questions ran through her mind, as her sanity slipped away.

"Do go easy on me… this cut on my arm still hurts abdominally. I never thought the old man would try and make you into a ninja, and you became a strong one at that, to be able to even injure me like this, despite those distractions" his speech was laced with mockery, as he gestured at the bodies and continued, "Then that witch took you in, and my plans were ruined. I had to start from scratch to get to this point, and I will not allow you to escape. And after I am done with you, your 'friend' will follow… I've had my eyes on her for a while, after all, but you were always first." He laughed in delight.

Standing up shakily, the girl held her weapon before her, "I will… " Pain shot through her mind, a horrifying ghostly visage flashed within her own face several times, as the storm raged around them.

Different visions of his own death— gruesome and tormented, flashed repeatedly inside his head as he stared at her. The man looked disturbed, and shifted uncomfortably, "What the hell? Is that some kind of genjutsu that witch taught you?" He placed his hands together in a symbol and tried to release himself from the supposed jutsu, but nothing happened.

A devilish toothless, lipless smile appeared over her face like a projection. Her voice was her own for just a second longer. "I will…_** skewer your body, just as you did mine!**_" the girl cried out in raspy voice dripping with malice. She rushed forward with her katana that was covered in a mass of seething darkness.

* * *

><p>Over a month passed before the fate of Naruko's team was determined. The two genin were found to have been killed by sword wounds. Along with, what was presumed to be the Jounin, judging from the pieces of the body they saw scattered about the area. The parts they found were in an advanced form of decay, much worse than the teenage boys, like they had been there for much longer. No traces of Naruko however were found, nor were any clues as to her whereabouts.<p>

The investigations into what happened went on for months, though almost no clues surfaced on the matter. Only one important fact actually came up and that was that the client for the mission had strangely vanished, following its failure. The Hokage used his influence to keep everything surrounding the incident a secret, limiting knowledge only to those people on the investigating team, but dark rumors began to surface among the ninjas in the village, nonetheless. These rumors mostly revolved around the idea that Naruko was responsible for their deaths in some way. But Hiruzen adamantly refused to admit the possibility that his student had killed them in ill will, and uncharacteristically berated those who spoke out otherwise.

Though only a couple even brought up the issue, as most believed it was highly unlikely that a genin could defeat a Jounin, in addition to two genin, at the same time to begin with. The manner in which the Jounin had died reinforced this idea, the autopsy revealed no perceivable sword marks, and the all the parts were strangely decayed. This gave reason to believe they had rotted apart from some sort of sick jutsu, though no one, not even the Hokage, had ever witnessed such a thing before.

Things remained mostly at a standstill, until Naruko was found unconscious, nearly five months after the incident a little ways outside the village by Team Guy.


	20. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – Suspicions

After reading through the reports again the large man sat them down with a sigh. So many things weren't adding up. Leaning back into his chair, he propped his feet up on the desk with the scattered documents. He took his Konoha bandana off, revealing a scarred bald head, and set it on the table before locking his fingers together on his chest. Glancing at the clock on the wall, next to the door of the rectangular room, he realized it was almost lunch time.

The office was plain and devoid of decorations, the walls were olive colored with worn, wooden trimmings. Numerous filling cabinets and bookshelves filled much of the room, with a large double window behind the main desk. The floor was tiled and had a rugged worn rug that took up most of the floor with a large Konoha symbol in the middle. The most distinguishing aspect of the place was the various brain teaser puzzles scattered about the room, the majority of them were already in a state of completion, but the few still being solved lay on the stern-faced man's desk.

The case had been handed to him early that morning, and he was now in charge of interrogating the suspect, as well as assisting the Konoha investigation team with their case. Looking at the picture on his desk again, it was clear he was very disgusted by the idea having to do so. He didn't know much about the girl, though going through her personality profile, he had strong doubts she had killed them of her own volition. There were however, still many unknown factors, including her omitted ninja statistics, the questionable mission reports from the Jounin team leader, the strange manner in which he was killed, the still missing client for the failed mission, the lack of any information regarding the girls whereabouts during the time she was missing, her equally mysterious reappearance in a place she was guaranteed to be found, the fact she was still unconscious, and the girl's changed appearance.

He had not even looked through all of the case files yet either, since many other aspects were being handled by his subordinates, and the other team. Closing his eyes, he reclined back further and thought about it all, making a set of mental priorities with what he should go about looking into first. The most logical thing to try and first find the neglected statistics, though they weren't completely accurate, the most recent copy of it should give him a general idea of whether this girl was even physically capable of committing this crime.

Being almost positive, they had likely ignored or overlooked this, in light of her status as a relatively new genin. Although perhaps there was some other reason, as he was aware based on the rumors some did suspect her of it. Her status as the village's jinchuuriki was also of significant note, but the fact she had returned, did seem rather strange. Getting up, he decided to get down to business, lunch could wait. He hadn't had something this interesting in quite some time.

* * *

><p>Two people stood in a well-lit, white walled room. There was various medical equipment and tools everywhere on shelves, cupboards, and translucent drawers. In the center of the room, was a large padded examination table, with a bright circular moveable light fixture overhead, and a teenage girl lying on it. There was woman was dressed in a khaki colored gown and cap, to the left of the table, staring at a monitor. Her hair was a dark purple color, and cut to neck length. The man wore the village's traditional Kage robes and cap, his expression was bathed in concern, as he stood on the other side.<p>

"I am sorry Hokage-sama, I can't really tell whether she's in a coma or some kind of jutsu, but it is clear she isn't waking up normally," a young female medical-nin said, standing next to examination table. "Her brainwave scans appear to be mostly stable too, though there are a few irregularities here and here—", she pointed, "—which I don't understand. I've never seen anything like it."

"What about her physical condition?" the Hokage asked.

"She appears to be very healthy, more so than, probably you or me," she smiled weakly and shrugged. "Although, she does bear a tremendous number of scars on her body and burn marks on her arms and legs. These weren't inflicted recently. Do you know anything about them?" the woman asked curiously, looking over at him.

His eyes lowered and he stared at the girls face with distress, "She was and still is the target of the village's hatred, for the Kyuubi incident. This was the result of the influence the parents attitudes had on their children."

Her expression became a bit sullen, "It's… hard to believe the kids would do that, I thought these might have been battle scars." A few silent moments passed before an idea came to her, "These aesthetic changes of hers… are they related to that? She doesn't look the same as her graduation picture. I've heard that the bearers of the bijou, on rare occasions, can sometimes manifest their physiological characteristics, though I am not sure if it's true."

Glancing up at the woman, he replied, "It is possible, if they were born within an individual who already had a tailed beast sealed within them or when the jinchuuriki reaches a point where they are able to control their bijou's power. Though in the second case, this change is usually only temporary." Looking back over at Naruko, "Let me know if you learn anything new, Oyone-san, before the Intelligence Division takes her in for their investigation."

"Yes, Hokage-sama", she spoke, bowing slightly, before resuming her analysis.

* * *

><p>In a large, circular, grey colored chamber, four men were gathered near a strange half bowl shaped apparatus, which was connected to a curved table by thick bundles of cables. They all wore equally plain stone colored uniforms with various pockets and a button down shirt with slacks. Three of the men were fairly young, but the biggest one among them was much older and had two diagonal scars on his face.<p>

Continuing their conversation, a man wearing glasses spoke on. "So the demon fox girl has finally snapped, huh?" he said with a smirk, while leaning against the solid curved table.

"Yeah… it seems that way," added another man, with long obtrusive bangs, as he wore an indifferent expression.

Turning towards the tallest one among them, the last man with bandages over his head asked, "What do you think Ibiki-san?"

Still staring at the clipboard in his hand which had Naruko's missing statistics, he glanced up at them briefly, replying dispassionately, "That's what we're here to find out, don't make any ridiculous assumptions based on what you've heard. Especially when they stem from stereotypes about someone you don't even know personally."

The other three men were chastened by their leader's harsh, yet sound answer.

A few minutes passed before Ibiki finished looking over the papers on his clipboard. Staring up at his now somewhat bored men, he asked, "How much longer before Inoichi-san arrives, Mozuku?"

"He should be here within the hour, his clan meeting ends a little past noon," Mozuku replied.

The man with long bangs quipped to the one with bandages, "Looks like its hurry up and wait then, huh Tonbo?"

"That's how it always is Shimon, you should know that by now," Tonbo replied flatly.

Shimon sighed.

"If you have so much time on your hands, go ahead and start making preparations for the memory probing. I'll go and see if the medical examiner is done yet," Ibiki said sternly, then walked away.

* * *

><p>At the cramped entrance to the intelligence building, a man behind the main desk was having a heated one sided argument with a black curly haired woman dressed in a red and white ninja garb.<p>

"I am sorry Kurenai-san, but Naruko is undergoing investigation right now. No one except those involved in the case are allowed to see her," the man said exasperated.

"Damn your excuses! She is my daughter who has been missing for almost five months; you can't even begin to understand what that's like! And now you're telling me I am not allowed to even see her?" Kurenai fumed fiercely.

The man was at a loss, this had been going on for at least fifteen minutes. He would have probably told her off a long time ago, if she wasn't senior in rank to him. The excuses he made, which initially sounded logical to him, were now dry and listless. Knowing there was little else he could say, he whipped out a pencil and notepad, "Alright, I'll put in a request and give it to the ones in—"

At that moment, the Hokage stepped through the double doors to the left of the reception desk, "That won't be necessary Shinobu, go ahead and allow her inside."

Seeing the Hokage, Kurenai bowed and calmed down somewhat. "I… apologize, Hokage-sama. It's just that…" she began in a low voice, but stopped and looked down in remorse.

He moved up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "It's alright. I should have contacted you earlier about this. I understand how much you care about Naruko."

Shifting her gaze back up to him, she saw the same deep concern etched on his face, and spoke more lightly, "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

He nodded in response then said, "Though there are quite a few things you need to know about Naruko. Due to her unconscious state, I've allowed the investigation team to do a memory probing. Inoichi arrived several minutes ago, and should be just about to start the procedure, so you can either watch or wait until they are finished."

They are going to explore her mind...? The horrifying image of that girl's face from years ago, flashed through her thoughts like a lightning bolt. Kurenai's eyes opened wide and a cold chill ran through her body, panicking, she said urgently, "No! You can't allow them to do that Hokage-sama, it's too dangerous!"

Her sudden radical change in attitude and ghostly appearance, made the Hokage become very concerned, and he asked quickly, "What do you mean?"

"There is no time to explain! Please, take me to them, we must stop this now!" Kurenai said frantically.

The Hokage looked over at the bewildered Shinobu, and tilted his head towards the doors leading into the facility.


	21. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 – Defense Mechanism

The air was cool inside of Konoha's Intelligence Division building and very comfortable. Everything was clean and tidy as was fitting for an official place of business. There were numerous sectors inside of it which handled different aspects of information gathering. The hallways in the building reflected these specific areas, with the more frequently traveled passages between the divisions being greater in width, while the interpersonal sections were generally narrower.

The interrogation branch was actually the smallest among them, but no less guarded than the others. Much of the space they were provided with housed the various captured criminals or foreign prisoners; who they were either in the process of obtaining information from, or detaining for leverage in order to initiate action later. The structure was a veritable maze and was very difficult to move through, since it lacked any signs, like a hospital would have.

As the three made their way hurriedly towards the innermost interrogation room, Kurenai began feeling a tremendous and growing sense of unease. She knew, as soon as she heard, that something terrible was going to happen if they didn't make it in time. The security checks along the way, only served to slow them down even more, and caused her further frustration. Though she hoped everyone would be safe, her foremost concern lay with her daughter. If something occurred, she couldn't help but feel Naruko would be blamed for it, despite her own arguments against this.

"How much farther in is it?" Kurenai asked desperately, having passed yet another security check point.

Shinobu, who had been infected by her sense of urgency along the way, replied in a tense voice, "It's just down the stairs on the left!" He motioned ahead to a t-junction, as they kept up their quick pace.

The Hokage, was growing more worried as well, he knew that something that could affect the village's master genjutsu user like this, had to be serious. What would make her panic like this, almost immediately, after learning about the memory probing? His thoughts were soon interrupted, when they entered the stairwell.

_Bone chilling screams echoed from downstairs_.

Kurenai and Shinobu stopped in their tracks, when they heard the sounds, with Hiruzen behind them. They heard desperate, tortured cries from below.

"NO! STOP IT! WHAT ARE YOU MAKING ME DO? IT HURTS! IT HURTS!"

"I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYMORE! PLEASE, NO!"

"THE VOICES! MAKE THEM END!"

"Inoichi! What's going on? Answer me!" Ibiki called out in a loud voice. "What the hell is this? What is happening to my men!"

"Aaaaarrrgggghhh!"

_Flesh tearing and ripping._

The Hokage broke their spell, "Hurry up! Get moving!"

_Chocking and gurgling sounds_.

Kurenai and Shinobu blinked a few times, and then ran down the stairs as fast as they could, adrenaline pumping like crazy, before charging through the doorway into a hallway. A set of double doors was nearby to the left of it, it was where the sounds were coming.

_The sound of bodies hitting the floor could be heard_.

"FUCK! Inoichi, get your hand off of her!" Ibiki yelled furiously.

The three charged madly through the door, only to see Ibiki holding Inoichi's shoulder and the both of them appearing to be some kind of trance. The hand of the blond man with a ponytail still rested on the forehead of a teenage girl that lay on a stretcher. Her head was placed in the middle of the half bowl shaped construct.

Suddenly, Inoichi let out a blood curdling scream, "AAAaaaahhhhhHHH!" His face was bathed in pure madness.

Ibiki was sweating profusely, as he held Inoichi's shoulder.

Staring between the two men and Hiruzen, Shinobu asked frantically, "Hokage-sama, what should we do?"

Hiruzen was already rushing forward, intending on pulling Ibiki away from Inoichi.

"Don't touch them directly! You'll only get caught up in it!" Kurenai warned quickly. As she tried to think of something, her gaze was drawn instinctively towards the girl on the table, her eyes opened wide in shock.

Hearing her warning, the Hokage halted. It only took him a moment to come up with the solution, and he brought his hands up together in a seal, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Two exact images of him appeared nearby. "Pull those men away from the girl on the table over there immediately!" he commanded sternly.

The replications went up to and grabbed them, jerking their bodies away forcefully. Almost instantly, the clones bent over and started to clutch their heads.

"Release!" Hiruzen said. The two clones disappeared, in a puff of smoke, upon command. His head began to throb with a dull pain from their experience.

Inoichi began falling like a puppet with his strings cut, but Hiruzen went up and caught him easily. Looking back, he saw the shocked Kurenai, he somehow knew this would happen, but now wasn't the time for it. Deciding to redirect her attention for the time being, he called out, "Kurenai! Take care of Inoichi."

Her head reared back and she glanced at him vaguely for a moment, then realizing what he said walked up to him hurriedly and supported Inoichi.

Ibiki was bent over on one knee nearby and breathing heavily, holding his head with one hand.

Shinobu seeing things somewhat under control now, went up to check on him, with a look of grave concern on his face, "Ibiki-sama, are you alright?"

Shaking his head groggily, while still clutching his face, Ibiki said roughly, "I am fine. Go get some medical-nin." He commanded, while brushing the other mans hands off.

Though still confused about what was going on, Shinobu did what was second nature to him and followed his commander's orders, running out of the room quickly to get help.

Staring the extremely pale man in her arms, Kurenai laid him down gently on the ground onto his back. She checked his pulse. It was beating rapidly, but was very faint. He was probably in shock she realized, after seeing his body covered in sweat.

Hiruzen looked over at the table where the girl lay. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, despite what had just happened.

"Hokage-sama… my men, they are—", Ibiki started to say, as he glanced over at the curved table, but a sharp pain shot through his head, causing to keel over onto his hands and knees with a grunt.

The Hokage gazed at him, replying in a grave tone, "I'll go check on them." He looked over at Kurenai, "Please do what you can for him, Kurenai."

She looked up with a pained expression, then after a moment, nodded.

Glancing up at the table, he saw flecks of blood on the left end of it, where one of the three men customarily stood during mental probing. He could smell a strong scent of blood coming from behind the curved table now, as he walked around to the right side.

A hand covered in blood was holding something within, it had a fleshly string coming from inside. The first figure was Tonbo, he lay there lifeless on the light green floor, a small pool of blood under his head. Both of his eyes appeared to have been gouged out by his own hands, which were now at his sides.

Walking around him Hiruzen saw the second man.

It was Shimon, there was also a puddle of blood under his head but it was much larger. His ears were missing. The raw flesh and bone of his skull could be seen.

Glancing at the man's hands, the Hokage confirmed his thoughts. He too appeared to have torn them off on his own. The ears lay nearby, next to unmoving hands.

With a heavy heart, he walked on to see the third individual.

The young man Mozuku, was also lying on the ground, a large volume of blood was collected around his torso, neck, and above his head.

Hiruzen turned his head away momentarily in anguish.

He appeared to have ripped open his own mouth. The skin on his face was parted from the corners of his lips all the way to the jaw line. His tongue was rolled back into his throat, which was clogged with blood.

Turning back to stare at the poor soul, the Hokage breathed steadily trying to calm his nerves. He had seen so much death in his life, but this self mutilation was something entirely different, what could have possessed them to do such a thing? Turning to the girl on the table, he shook his head. Even now, he didn't want to believe it. Naruko had never harmed anyone in the entire village her whole life, despite the terrible things they had done to her growing up. His emotions were in turmoil. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he wiped them away quickly, making his way over to Kurenai. She knew something about this, before it all happened. If only he had told her immediately about Naruko, perhaps this tragedy could have been prevented…


	22. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 - Mirror

In a beige colored meeting room, three people sat together in a cluster on a large table. The rectangular room was completely bare, minus a light switch near the door, and a white marker board at the far end. Only a slight whooshing from the air conditioner could be heard. Two of the people were men with grim expressions, and third was a woman whose face was filled with worry and doubt. They had been silent for quite some time, until finally the much older man spoke up.

"What do you know about what happened yesterday Kurenai?" Hiruzen asked.

She started, "I—", then paused sighing deeply. "I don't really know, but… there is— no, there was something that happened like this in the past between—", Kurenai couldn't continue. This was a road she didn't want to travel down; it could only make this worse.

"You and Naruko?" the Hokage prodded gently.

She remained silent and looked down at her lap.

Ibiki started to say something, but was quickly cut off by Hiruzen, with a raised hand.

"…yes," Kurenai said simply. Taking a deep breath, she resigned herself, "I had… dreams or memories of some kind twice in the past, when I was around my daughter. Both of them were frighteningly real, I felt the environment around, could breathe, and my body was alive. In the first one, the only way I was able to distinguish it from the real world, was because of the girl I found, which looked exactly like… the old Naruko. She was like another person though, despite appearances and said many strange things. Later I saw… what seemed like a memory, that she had been trying to hide or perhaps warn me about, to stay away." Tears began streaming down Kurenai's eyes, "I… didn't want to believe it, what I saw was just so awful… something that should never happen to a woman… much less a child." She began to sob.

The Hokage's face darkened when she stopped.

Shifting his eyes towards the table, wearing a stoic mask, Ibiki appeared lost in thought at her words, trying to determine if there was any meaning to it.

Sniffing, Kurenai gathered herself and continued, "Something happened to me at the end of it, I am not sure what, but— I felt like my daughter had saved me, when I woke up and saw her hand in mine."

Several moments of silence passed between the three of them.

"So it seems like, this phenomenon, requires a physical link of some sort. My men became connected to her mind through the probing device, and Inoichi placed his hand on her head. When I touched Inoichi, I was also drawn into some kind of world, though my memories of it aren't very clear. Perhaps because it was an indirect contact," Ibiki concluded. Then added, "All I know is that they were extremely disturbing and I felt incredible pain when I was there."

Kurenai said nothing and just listened with a somber look.

"Is it possible your men suffered from some sort of attack, while connected to her mind?" Hiruzen suggested with a serious expression.

Bringing his hand up to his chin, Ibiki replied with his usual gruff voice, "It's possible, but it could also be they were trying to escape from whatever they were experiencing… even if it meant death. It would explain why they did that— to themselves after losing their link. It may have also been a suggestion implanted into their minds."

Looking over at Kurenai, the Hokage saw she was fairly composed, and decided to push things along, asking cautiously, "What about the second time?"

Flinching, her hand started to shake, and then she grabbed it with the other one. Kurenai spoke with a pale face and weak voice, "I… met someone in it, a… girl… that resembled my daughter. She tortured me there, and said this was how the villagers had treated Naruko." She became silent suddenly.

The old man's gaze lowered, a pained expression fell across his face, as he recalled his own memories of those times when he had found Naruko injured.

Ibiki remembered reading a couple of lines in her profile about this, but apparently it was much more serious than he thought, seeing the two of them react thusly. Kurenai's words were starting to formulate more ideas in his mind, but he felt like there was something more.

She started up again in a subdued voice, "Afterwards, when I actually saw her… she was like the very image of undeath, her face was pale and… it was like she was dying. The girl tried to kill me, but was stopped by… what I think was my daughter."

"So this… other, may be the one that was responsible for the deaths the other day. And Inoichi's current state," the Hokage surmised hesitantly.

"She or it sounds like some kind of defense mechanism Naruko has inside of her mind. It would explain why she killed my men without any hesitation and tried to kill me and Inoichi, before her connection with us was physically severed," Ibiki said in a low voice, as he tried to piece things together.

The Hokage turned to Ibiki, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Well as you know, it's not normally possible for a mind to interact with others, when connected through the probing machine, because of all the protections in place. Typically the only dangers we have to worry about are possible genjutsus that have been put in to guard memories in espionage operatives, such as the ANBU," Ibiki stated calmly.

Sitting silently, Kurenai had mixed feelings about where this was going. She hoped it would help clear her daughter of suspicion, but it could go either way.

"However, the very fact that her mind was able to do so eliminates any possibility of such a trap, as even if there had been one, only Inoichi should have been affected. I've heard of a condition called multiple personality disorder, in which it's possible for one individual to have two or more separate identities. Given what you mentioned about her so far Kurenai, and the abuse she had gone through with the villagers, this can occur. Under such a condition, I have no doubt that when we attempted to enter her mind, this 'other' self was there waiting for us," his thoughts were coming together steadily now, as he paused briefly. Staring at Kurenai, he asked, "Has this other personality ever been present outside of her mind?"

Confused and frightened, she couldn't respond. His words made so much sense, but what would this mean?

Hiruzen placed a comforting hand on her arm, "Whatever the outcome of this, we will try to do our best to help Naruko. Is it possible to treat this condition Ibiki?"

He was thoughtful for a moment, before turning to the Hokage and replying, "It's very rare occurrence and treatment may be possible, but that's outside my area of expertise. Oyone-san might be able to help or know someone who can. However…" He turned to face Kurenai again, "I still need more details on the matter to make things clearer."

Looking up at him, there was a hint of hope in her eyes now, "No, at least never when I was around with her… There is no way I could miss such a drastic change in her like that."

Hiruzen decided to add something, "The mission reports, say nothing unusual either, which means she went for six months outside of Kurenai's care without incident."

Ibiki nodded in confirmation, "It could be that this other side of hers only manifests itself inside of her mind… or there are certain conditions, which need to be met for that personality to take control. Given what happened to us, when we tried to invade her mind, this seems to be the only real clue we have."

Perking up a bit, Kurenai replied quickly, "So you're saying she would only act in self-defense of Naruko?"

"It is a possibility…" Ibiki said, becoming roused in deep thought.

Regret was clearly written across Hiruzen's face, as he listened on. With all that had been said so far, it was starting to become apparent that the event of the previous day really could have been prevented. His decision to allow a memory probing had been a difficult one, marked by necessity, since Naruko wasn't waking up through normal means. And it was an undeniable fact she was a suspect, or at least had information on what happened, regardless of his thoughts on the matter.

The other motivation, and probably the strongest, was the desire to exonerate her, since he felt absolutely certain she hadn't killed them in ill will. Though he still wanted to the trust the people of his village, he wasn't naïve enough to continue to believe in them now, after all that had been said and done. Facing Ibiki, he decided to ask, "So what you're implying is that her team may have attacked Naruko, causing this other side of hers to take over and kill them in turn?"

Pulled away from his reverie, Ibiki turned to the Hokage, and replied calmly, "Betrayal is indeed a very powerful emotion, which could trigger something like that, yes. But would Naruko really allow herself to be killed, even if she was attacked abruptly like that? Given what I saw in her ninja statistics about her abilities with kenjutsu, her capability for defense should be almost second nature."

"No… your right, even under surprise, I've trained her too well not be able to react to such a situation," Hiruzen amended. It was a bit of an abrupt conclusion he reached, trying to push things in his student's favor. "But it could still be one of the conditions right?"

"I'll say it clearly now, I've had my suspicious about Kou and his mission reports. Given all that I've heard, and what the both of you have told me about Naruko, as well as her personality profile. I find it highly unlikely things were going as smooth as he said they were, particularly with the genin. The fact Naruko only has one friend her own age, clearly reinforces this idea," Ibiki replied smoothly.

"Kou… isn't he from the Hyuga clan? Wasn't he acting as Hinata's caretaker?" Kurenai asked curiously. This was the first time the name of the Jounin who led Naruko's team came up. Due to how busy she was in the past months with high profile missions, she had rarely gotten a chance to speak with her daughter. Particularly since Naruko was doing missions of her own, with her new team.

The Hokage shrugged. Even he wasn't able to keep up with everything that was going on in the village, especially not the activities of all the ninja within the different clans.

"Was? So that means he transferred recently to become a Jounin team leader?" Ibiki questioned suspiciously.

"I didn't hear any anything about that, I was only aware that her Jounin was from the Hyuga clan. Given their reputation, I didn't think much of it," Hiruzen replied flatly.

Eying Ibiki critically, Kurenai asked, "Is there something wrong with that?"

He thought for a moment, "Not in and of itself, but it does connect a few dots… I think the investigation team has been pretty sloppy about this whole affair. It's seems like everyone has emphasized Naruko's perspective too much and not checked into the 'victims' themselves, particularly Kou." Pulling out a notebook from his vest, he started writing down some notes.

It seems his worst fears have come to be realized, there could indeed have been some sort of plot against Naruko, which was orchestrated by the villagers. Sighing in discontent, the Hokage face seemed to have aged a few more years during the conversation.

It took Ibiki a couple of minutes to write everything down, but after he was done, he turned back to Kurenai, "If I remember correctly, earlier you said something about this other side of her looking like she was dying correct?"

Kurenai's face clouded over, it was clear she didn't want to think about it, "Yes…"

He wrote a couple more notes down, "Was there anything else you can tell us about the second event involving her?"

"…I remembered hearing a crying in the dream… it was like she was lost or trapped. I couldn't tell where the voice was coming from, but at the end of it, I felt like I needed to save her—", her eyes opened wide in realization.

Seeing her alarm, Hiruzen asked, "What is it? Did you remember something important?"

Goosebumps flitted through her body, "I remember saying that I would find a way to save her from that place someday…" Kurenai stood up abruptly.

Becoming seriously suddenly, the Hokage confirmed, "You don't mean to use that ability of yours, to see into her soul do you?"

"I think that's the only way to bring her back to us right now," Kurenai affirmed.

"That sounds awfully dangerous Kurenai-san. I would highly suggest against pursuing such an endeavor," Ibiki voiced his opinion strongly. "What's to say her other side wouldn't kill you this time around? Now that Naruko is in an unknown state of mind, it's possible she would have no control to save you, should something happen."

Her face was resolute and it was clear in her tone of voice, "It's the only thing I can do for her right now for my daughter." Turning towards Hiruzen, she begged, "Please Hokage-sama allow me to try and save Naruko."

Closing his eyes in thought, it took only a brief moment for him to give an answer. A single nod of confirmation was enough.

Kurenai hurriedly left the room.

Ibiki glanced at the Hokage, "I'll get back to my investigation and let you know what I find out, and pass on what I know now to the official team."

Looking back at Ibiki, Hiruzen replied sadly, "I am sorry about your men Ibiki."

The man's face was his typical stern expression, "Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of this, it's the best I can do for them right now."


	23. Chapter 21

(A/N): When you reach the second section I suggest playing "04 Pray That You Always Understand Me" at low volume, you can find it on youtube.

* * *

><p>Chapter 21 – Heart and Soul<p>

Standing in the examination room, Oyone was looking at the other woman worriedly, having been told about the situation and what Kurenai was going to attempt. Glancing at the padded table Naruko was lying on, it was clear she was frightened about what could happen. One of the captains of the Intelligence Division, Inoichi, was now in a coma after suffering an enormous amount of psychological damage. And three other men, from the Interrogation Unit, had been killed trying to delve in this girl's mind.

Looking back at Kurenai, she saw her face held no hesitation, no doubt, only a deep concern that the medical-nin couldn't understand. Oyone knew Kurenai was Naruko's adoptive parent and wondered 'is this what the love of a mother is like'? She was still in her early twenties. And though she was seeing a colleague named Kumadori, who was standing nearby, the idea of having children of their own was far from either of their minds right now. Would she ever be willing to risk her own life like this, to try and save her children? She couldn't say for certain, but it wasn't something she could just deny either.

Focusing her attention on the brain scan monitor, she saw everything was just like before they took her in for a memory probe. Even the irregularities were there. Oyone couldn't say it was safe, but she said, "Everything looks normal from here, if anything should change, or if something should happen we're going to pull you away immediately." Looking at Kumadori, he gave her a quick nod, "We're ready Yuhi-san."

Looking down at her daughter, Kurenai couldn't help but focus on the change that had occurred. The first time she saw her in the probing chamber, she'd almost had a heart attack. Naruko's hair now was nearly the same color as the girl from those dreams, a fiery red. Thinking back to her initial inquiries into Naruko, before she had adopted her, Kurenai remembered that the girl's real mother had the exact same hair color. She stroked it gently. It had the same silky texture as before, so soft and full of life.

Rubbing her fingers around the appendages sticking out from her daughter's head, she couldn't help but be reminded of an animal's ears. The Hokage had said this might be some sort of side effect, from being born from one who has the demon fox sealed within them that was just now activating, perhaps from having tapped into the creature's chakra. He made it quite apparent though that this was all it was, since if the demon had truly gotten free, she probably wouldn't be here now. The Fourth's Seal was supposedly quite powerful, and would not break easily under normal circumstances. Kurenai ran her fingers through the feathery strands again.

The ears were the same color as Naruko's current hair, but had a fleck of white around each of the tips. They blended in naturally and she found them a bit charming despite the circumstances. From what Oyone said, her daughter also had a tail of the same color sticking out from her lower back. It also appeared to be freely growing there, not attached in some strange fashion, like it had always been a part of her. Looking up at the two waiting medical-nin, Kurenai steeled herself, "I am ready to begin."

Kumadori walked up and laced a couple of medical straps around Yuhi's arms. This was a crude method, but they could use them to tug her arms away without touching her directly. They weren't sure whether this would help or not, but it was a precaution. Afterwards, he attached a few suction sensors, along with a spidery cap, to her temple and neck, to monitor her vitals and mental state. "Alright, that should do it. You can start whenever, Yuhi-san," Kumadori said lightly.

Steeling herself, Kurenai closed her eyes and placed her hands around Naruko's head. Steadying her breathing, she concentrated harder and harder, until she felt herself being drawn in, it felt like she was falling but without the sense of vertigo.

* * *

><p>The air around Kurenai was cool and refreshing. It was blowing lightly across her features, fluttering her hair. What was this strange feeling? Her body was weightless, but she felt it was hers and had form. There was seemingly no substance to anything here, but she felt no fear. Opening her eyes, she was greeted with a soft welcoming light. All around her was a light blue color, with what looked like puffy white clouds here and there. Is this the sky? Looking down she saw nothing by white mists blocking any further view.<p>

Her body was hovering in the air. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before in her entire life. This place was so serene, so pure, Kurenai felt like she could fall asleep at any time into an endless slumber. It held the mystical quality of dreams, but the sensations here were very real. So distracted was Kurenai by the environment, she had nearly forgotten her purpose, but was this really where she wanted to go?

Looking around, she saw nothing but clouds everywhere, until she faced to her left. Off in the distance, she saw two small figures, one was laying on something, while another sat nearby gazing in her direction. Kurenai felt like the girl had been staring at her the entire time, but wasn't startled at all, only a warm peaceful feeling coursed through her being. As soon as she thought about moving in that direction, her body started floating forward slowly, the air gently parting as she went by.

When she got closer, the sitting figure stood up. The other appeared to be on some kind of altar, but it was hard to see still, with the mists around them. The standing one looked very much like Naruko, her red hair billowing outwards as the wind blew past her. But the outfit she was wearing... the mists were blocking her view and she couldn't see it very well.

The clouds cleared, and she finally recognized it was the same as the girl who has tried to kill her last time. Something was off though, Kurenai felt no fear watching her, and the malevolent aura from previously was not present. In fact, she couldn't feel anything from her at all, just like she was a normal person. Getting within a couple of dozen feet from the wispy altar, she felt gravity here, and landed on something solid like stone.

The girl was staring at her curiously, a black katana slung over her shoulder. The skin and facial features appeared normal as well, and her eyes were open. Somehow, Kurenai knew this was not her Naruko. Glancing past the girl, to the other figure, she saw a golden haired girl lying on the cloud covered altar. A red and white shrine maiden outfit covered her body, she appeared to be sleeping.

"You really did return as you said you would… quite frankly I am surprised," came a voice from below the altar nearby.

Shifting her gaze back towards the other girl, she saw her close by, only a few feet away. Her eyes were green and vibrant filled with life, it was also apparent they were able to see, since she was staring directly at Kurenai. Was this really the same girl as before?

She laughed lightly, in same voice as Naruko, "I wonder why she chose you anyway, you seem a bit airheaded to me. Haven't you figured it out yet? I can read your thoughts in this place, it's meaningless to try and hide or think anything here."

"Are you… really the one from before?" Kurenai asked, still a bit unsure.

The girl smirked, it was clear she was becoming irritated, "I guess I have to spell everything out for you don't I? I suppose she would want me to…" She stole a quick glance back at the altar, the irritated look disappearing. "This place is so infuriating, I can't even get pissed off at you here," she complained and sighed. "But to answer your question, yes I am, as much as it pains me I still can't slay you. Especially not in this place, that is part of her realm."

"Well, I am happy that's the case at least, but aren't you satisfied yet having murdered those three men the other day?" Kurenai asked in a strangely calm voice.

The girl's face was filled with contempt for a fraction of a second, and then she laughed dryly. Suddenly, she unsheathed her sword in a blinding movement and appeared holding the blade right next to Kurenai's throat. The girl was straining mightily, but couldn't move it any further than that and sighed in annoyance, "It really is pointless to try and kill you isn't it?"

Kurenai blinked in surprise, she was almost dispatched in the blink of an eye by this girl, but the sword was stopped before any harm came to her at all.

"Did you know this sword she was given, has the ability to assume the form reflected in the soul of its wielder?" the girl asked, having pulled back the blade, as she stared at it. "It actually has two names, the one she calls it, and this one I am holding—Muramasa."

Looking at the sword, it did indeed look somewhat similar to the one the Hokage had given her, but it was almost completely black with streaks of red flowing throughout it. Her head started feeling a bit fuzzy for some reason then.

The girl tossed it casually on the floor and it stuck right in front of Kurenai standing up at a slight angle. Speaking in a light tone, she said, "Take it, I want to see what it looks like when you hold it."

Mystified by their conversation, Kurenai felt compelled to listen to the girl and reached out to grab it gingerly. But her hand was stopped by some unseen force, before she could wrap her fingers around it.

"Humph, I can't even indirectly harm you," she groaned deeply. "If you had touched it, your hand would have become necrotic and it would spread throughout your body." The girl smiled happily.

Drawing her hand back quickly, Kurenai was taken aback, by how close she kept coming to death. There were no longer any doubts that this girl was the same as before, but this place… it was so strange, she couldn't feel fear or any kind of emotion here.

Turning towards the altar, the girl spoke in a resigned tone, "Fine I give up, I won't try to kill her anymore. It would likely bear me some ill effects if I did anyway, but I think I would still be willing to test it if I could…" Facing Kurenai again, she picked up her sword and sheathed it, "Oh well, let's get down to business now. Why are you here?"

The fog in her mind seemed to lift, and she could think coherently again, or at least as much as this place allowed, "I… came to bring Naruko back."

The girl glared at her, "Is that really all? Do you believe that's all it's going to take to solve everything which is going on right now?"

Kurenai blinked, "You know about what's happening?"

She sighed and her face cringed, answering teasingly, "You really are an airhead aren't you? If this is what love is like, she will never get to know it, as far as I'm concerned." Glancing around, the girl amended mildly, "Well, I suppose this place is somewhat to blame too."

"This is Naruko's soul isn't it?" Kurenai asked with uncertainty.

"Yes it is…" the girl answered mysteriously. "It is the only place the two of us can be together, which is why I am here guarding her. Anyone vile enough to enter the mind or soul of another, without their permission deserves death. You ninjas' will never understand this."

Confused, she asked, "What are saying?"

"Don't test my patience, even though I can't kill you here, I am more than capable enough of purging your presence," the girl warned.

"I-I… am sorry," Kurenai replied low in voice.

The girl's face appeared to soften for just a moment at the woman's reaction, reaching out, she took Kurenai's hand, "Well come on then, I'll share everything you need to know, and you can take her back."

The strange girl's touch felt exactly like Naruko's hand, and instead of feeling repulsed as she believed she would, Kurenai actually thought it was a pleasant, as she was lead along.

"There are steps here, so don't trip," the girl added playfully.

Looking down, there were indeed misty steps leading up the altar, she noticed. "Wait! Who—", the question was caught up in her throat and she couldn't ask it.

Standing next to the cloudy altar, the girl looked up at Kurenai, "You still don't know do you? I thought it would be obvious by now... well it doesn't matter." The girl lifted up Naruko's hand left hand with her right one, "When you touch it, all the memories of what happened that day will become clear to you." She smiled mischievously, "I can at least take comfort you won't enjoy them, beyond that, I do not know. She may be able to tell you, but I doubt it, her mind was in a terrible state during that time, and it is why she is here like this now."

Kurenai wanted to say so much more, ask so much more, but she knew that it was clear this girl wasn't going to give her anymore, than she already had. It could be said it was a miracle, she decided to help at all, given how she was earlier.

"That's right… this is a miracle," the girl added mystically. "You won't be allowed to come here again, even if you use that power of yours. It was only possible because she wanted it to be, and… well… I'll just leave it at that."

Looking directly at her, Kurenai felt strangely close to her just then, "Thank you, for helping me, and for whatever you've done for my daughter."

The girl stared directly into Kurenai's eyes and gave her a penetrating look, as if she was looking right into the woman's very being, "You are indeed quite beautiful, but you aren't the one. Though perhaps you could have been… at a time."She paused a moment before continuing. "_Did you know that the eyes are the windows to the soul?_" the girl questioned, in far away voice.

"What—", Kurenai started to say, but she realized suddenly, that her hand was on top of Naruko's now. The world started to fade away before her vision— the last thing she saw was the girl's green eyes, staring at her mysteriously.


	24. Chapter 22

(A/N): When you reach the line that starts with "Several long moments passed in silence" you can play the Naruto OST 3 song 'grief and sorrow' for extra effect, find it on youtube.

* * *

><p>Chapter 22 – Reunion<p>

It had been nearly three weeks since Naruko woke up, her physical changes appeared to be permanent and no one had been able to figure out exactly what had happened, but the Hokage still firmly believed it was linked to circumstances of her birth. This explanation was what all the current ninjas were given regarding Naruko's new appearance. For most of them it didn't affect their current attitude much, as they had seen many strange things during their time out in the world. Plus the Hokage's wisdom and knowledge was something even the most stubborn of ninja would rarely question.

Kurenai on the other hand wasn't quite so sure the changes were quite so readily explained. Staring at her daughter, who was next to the rail of the park area that overlooked the city, she couldn't help but think something significant had occurred during that time she was missing. She initially thought that Naruko had been taken over by that other side of hers, but after encountering her again in her daughter's soul, she didn't know what to believe. So many of the things the girl had said made little sense to her, and the girl had mostly refused to answer her questions or she had been unable to ask them outright.

It was like some strange influence had prevented her from doing so. The one thing she could not forget though was the absolute fact the girl had been protecting Naruko, was it truly something like Ibiki had explained— multiple personalities? If so, why were they so incredibly different and why was her presence so overwhelmingly strong? The last person's soul she entered had been nothing like it was with her daughter's. With Naruko, she had been utterly helpless and felt like board game piece that could be manipulated at will, much unlike the other people, where she had full control of her thoughts, speech and actions.

Was she just worrying too much? Oyone had said that her daughter was very stable now mentally, and Kurenai couldn't help but agree. Naruko had changed quite a bit since the last time she saw her. Her daughter was even more expressive now, particularly with her tail and new ears. Had the death of that man brought her this peace? Naruko herself remembered little of that day, and almost nothing of the time afterwards, just as the girl predicted. Having received no unusual reports during that time from around the location where her daughter disappeared, along with Kurenai's account of what happened, Naruko had been completely exonerated of charges.

The investigation team looked deeply into the actions of the Jounin Kou and began to discover a lot of evidence of unusual activities like document forgeries, misallocation of funds, strange encrypted messages he had sent to someone outside the village, and numerous unofficial files and reports that had found their way into the system. The amount of criminal activities they found linked to the man was staggering, but the fact he had gotten away with them without anyone noticing until this incident, was even more extraordinary. They really had their work cut out for them trying to piece together everything Kou had done, and though the investigation was still ongoing, the rumors around Naruko had all but disappeared.

The girl was placed in a team with her mother as her the new leader, along with two fresh graduates from the academy. These two were originally slated to be with another fellow classmate, but the boy failed to graduate, and Naruko who was without a team, was the perfect candidate to fill in the role. Kurenai was waiting for them to show up, having met them yesterday in the classroom and relayed where they would be meeting today. This was one of the smaller parks in the village, but the line of trees and benches behind her were ideal for outdoor gatherings and picnics. The spot they were at was a stepped down balcony like area, which overlooked part of the city and always had a fresh wind blowing by.

Kurenai had woken up much earlier than normal, due to her daughter's seeming lack of need for sleep, so the two of them had been waiting here for quite some time following their breakfast and departure. Yawning slightly, she smiled a moment later, as the wind blew her daughters long hair and tail to the side. It was strange to be sure, seeing such an unusual thing on Naruko, but Kurenai couldn't help that she was so charmed by it and the ears. They were much like the costume ones that the stores sometimes sold for festivals or special occasions.

Turning around, Naruko walked over next to her mother and sat down, a peaceful expression on her face. "So who are my two new team members haha-ue? You still haven't told me," Naruko asked in a deeply curious tone. When her mother had first mentioned she would be getting assigned to a new team the other day, all she had thought and asked about was this, but she still hadn't gotten an answer. Kurenai had been quite playful about it and said it would be a surprise, so it had been eating away at her this whole time.

"Just wait a little longer. I am sure at least one of them will be here soon…" Kurenai replied teasingly.

Naruko's ears drooped in response. They would have blended in almost seamlessly with her hair were it not for the white tips.

It was such an adorable reaction. Kurenai couldn't help but giggle a bit, knowing Naruko was unaware of what she was doing.

Turning towards her mother, Naruko seemed to have realized something, asking in a low voice, "You said… at least one of them right? Does that mean I know this person?"

Kurenai smiled, saying playfully, "I wonder about that…"

Her daughter's eyebrows rose slightly and her ears stood up, "Its Hinata isn't it?"

Unable to hide it any longer, she answered cheerfully, "That's right! I am sure she'll come here early to see you, since I told them both who their new team member was."

Naruko looked down on the ground and her ears drooped again, she asked quietly, "Do you really think so? Most of the villagers seem to dislike me even more now because of my new ears and this tail…" She brought it up onto her lap and rubbed it strangely. "A few people even appeared to be scared of me, and called me a monster or a beast."

Sliding over a bit, Kurenai wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her affectionately. With the new feelings Naruko had learned, also came a sense of vulnerability and insecurity. "Don't worry Naruko. I don't think Hinata will feel any different about you, despite these changes," she caressed her daughter's hair gently. "It might be a bit of a surprise, but at worst, she may just need a little time to get used to you." Kurenai didn't want to be too positive, Naruko was very bright, and could see through such things easily.

Looking up at her mother, a look of uncertainty was clearly written on Naruko's face, "I hope you're right haha-ue."

"She is your friend after all Naruko," Kurenai added lightly.

Naruko appeared to brighten at the mention of the word friend and she hugged her mother back tightly.

Kurenai laid the side of her face on Naruko's head in return and closed her eyes. How much she has grown, she thought. Her daughter would probably end up being just as tall or taller than herself, in a few more years. Naruko's mental growth had been astounding too. The girl was extremely mature for her age, and had showed many of the qualities necessary to become a chuunin, during her missions with the other team. The Hokage had gone even so far as to propose appointing her directly to a chuunin, without taking the exams, since she didn't have a team after she was released. It would have allowed her to be more easily moved into another group or assigned to numerous other tasks around the village, at that level.

She too was well aware of her daughter's ability, but had adamantly insisted on waiting at least until after this latest group of students graduated, to see if any openings came up. It was a stroke of luck to be sure, but a spot did indeed come up and with her childhood friend no less. Though Kurenai felt this was for the best, she couldn't help but think this was a selfish venture on her part. After what happened when they parted last time, she was undoubtedly more concerned about her daughter's future as a ninja. Suddenly Naruko stiffened in her arms and she asked, "What is it?"

Releasing her mother, the girl gazed to the northwest over the balcony, "She's coming."

"You mean Hinata? How can you tell? I don't sense or see her at all," Kurenai said puzzled, as she stood up and looked in the same direction.

"I've gotten a lot better as a sensor-nin," Naruko replied brightly.

Still staring over, Kurenai was finally able to make out the figure of someone jumping over to them, through the morning sunlight, though she was a couple of hundred yards away. She was amazed at how far her daughter was able to detect her. Was this only because Naruko knew Hinata or had she developed that much? Thinking back, she remembered that the girl's enhanced perception was better when she was standing still, but she never realized how good it truly was.

Kurenai felt her daughter clutch at her clothes behind her. Looking back, she saw Naruko mostly hiding behind her, with only her face sticking out. Her daughter's ears were still drooping, but Kurenai noticed her tail was wagging from side to side through her mass of hair. It was clear she was excited, despite her earlier mood, perhaps her encouragement had helped? Either way, she couldn't help but think how cute her daughter's reaction was. "I think you're probably a little too big now to try and hide behind me Naruko," Kurenai said playfully.

Glancing up at her mother, her face flushed ever so slightly, "Maybe… you're right." Sensing that Hinata was almost up to them, Naruko hid completely behind her mother and kept holding the back of her outfit, in spite of what she said.

Smiling, Kurenai turned towards Hinata, who had just landed nearby in front of them. "Good morning Hinata, you're here quite early—", she said with a glance at the horizon. "The meeting isn't for another hour at least," she continued in a playful tone.

The woman couldn't help but notice the new outfit Hinata had on, since the last time she saw her. Was this change inspired by Naruko? The girl was wearing slightly short black form fitting pants, and a night blue haori with a similarly black collar. The Hyuga clan's symbol was also attached to the upper left sleeve. This was held together with a white obi in the middle and tied behind her, along with a red ribbon centered on it and bound in the front. Her ninja pouch was a utility type connected to the right thigh with white straps and she was using the dark blue genin sandals. Hinata's hair had grown as well, since the last time her daughter saw her, and was now a little over shoulder in length.

Hinata, still not used to the woman's teasing, looked down slightly with a blush fiddling with the lower part of her haori. Then glancing up, she spoke softly, "Good morning Kurenai-sensei. I know what time the meeting is… but I was hoping…" She looked around, and noticed something strange for the first time—there was a fluffy red tail with a white tip, wagging behind her sensei. Then she saw the red hakama and tabi with straw sandals. Her face was filled with wonder, as she asked quizzically, "Naruko…?"

The tail stiffened suddenly and was hidden quickly behind Kurenai.

Hinata's hand reached out unconsciously for it, when that happened, and she uttered her disappointment, "Ah!" Unsure what to do Hinata brought the hand up to her chin with a troubled expression, casually looking down and sneaking peeks at the figure behind her sensei.

Several long moments passed in silence, until Naruko finally released her mother and stepped out anxiously from behind her. She stood right next to her, holding her tail to her chest with a worried expression. "Hello Hinata…" she said in a fragile voice. It was clear she was feeling extremely vulnerable.

Looking up, hearing her name called by the voice she remembered so well, the girl's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Is that… really you Naruko…?" Hinata asked hesitantly, with mixed feelings.

She only nodded slightly in response.

The outfit, her voice, her face with closed eyelids, and the long knee length hair were all the same as before, but Hinata was held back for some reason.

Naruko gazed down and squeezed her tail painfully. She felt like her heart was being slowly crushed, and was at a complete loss for words. Her friend's reserved reaction reminded her of how some of the people in town had treated her, and it hurt immensely.

Staring carefully, Hinata saw her friend was trembling now; it was the first time she had seen Naruko looking so weak. Shame and guilt assailed her immediately— what was she doing…! There was nothing to be afraid of, this was her childhood friend! Overcome with emotion at the sight, she ran forward and hugged Naruko tightly, speaking urgently, "I am sorry Naruko! I am so sorry…! I should have known it was you immediately…!"

Feeling an inexplicable emotion sweep over her, Naruko stopped trembling, as tears rolled down her cheeks, why was she crying? She was so happy, she could barely think straight, she thought pain was the only reason anyone ever shed tears.

Hinata too was sobbing gently, as she held Naruko.

Naruko wrapped her arms around the other girl and leaned into her, feeling their warmth pass through each other, "It's alright Hinata…" Her tail wrapped around gently her friend as well.

"I am sorry… I won't ever doubt you again…" Hinata said through her sobs.

Kurenai was standing back watching the two. This was the first time she had ever seen Naruko cry in their time together, she was really happy to see it happen, but a bit jealous at the same time that Hinata was able to invoke such a reaction from her daughter. She stared off into the distance. For some reason, she thought back to the other girl's words 'perhaps you could have been… at a time'. What did those cryptic words mean? Looking back at the two, she supposed it didn't matter; she knew Naruko cared deeply for her as a mother and realized just how petty her jealousy was. Her daughter was finally opening up to the world around her, it wasn't right to try and keep Naruko all to herself.

They all stood together like that for quite some time afterwards.


	25. Chapter 23

(A/N): The ninja stats on my profile have been updated to reflect the end of this chapter. As usual, for extra effect after the first paragraph play the song "Naruto OST - 04 Morning". You can find it on youtube.

* * *

><p>Chapter 23 – Team 8<p>

Naruko and Hinata sat alone together on a bench, under the shadow of the dual line of trees. It was still a couple of hours before midday, so the air around them was cool and refreshing. Since it was a weekday, few people aside from ninjas visited the park and no one else was around in the immediate area. The last member of their team hadn't shown up yet, but that wasn't surprising because the meeting time was an hour before noon, meaning they still had an hour left. Kurenai had left earlier to prepare some bentos for the three of them to eat later. However that had been mainly an excuse to allow the girls to catch up.

Sitting with her hands beside her Hinata stared at Naruko with intense curiosity. She had expected her friend to have changed somewhat during their time apart, but this was something entirely different. Her ears and tail reminded Hinata of some of the dogs and cats she had seen around the village. Given happened earlier she was a bit hesitant to ask about it, so she sat silently waiting for the other girl to say something.

With her tail on her lap and hands resting on top of it Naruko stared sideways at Hinata and asked casually, "Do you want to touch it?"

Hinata's eyes brightened, and she almost reached over, "Are you sure it's okay?"

Lifting her hands away, Naruko scooted over a bit and moved her red tail casually over to Hinata's lap.

Hinata was practically gushing, "Wow, it really is your tail huh?" Reaching for it carefully she stroked it softly, "It's so big and fluffy!"

Naruko was blushing visibly, as her friend caressed her tail. It was a strange sensation having someone other than herself touch it like that, but she was just happy everything was going well between the two of them now. Earlier, when she thought her friend was afraid of or rejecting her like everyone else she had almost broken down in despair. It reminded her vaguely of the confrontation with that man. She had borne many things in her life but this was something she absolutely did not want to lose since it was a bond she had forged together on her own with the Hinata.

"So how does it feel when I touch it like this? Is it like when someone is playing with your hair?" Hinata asked in wonder, not seeing her red faced friend. She was just like a child playing with a brand new toy.

Holding her own hands tightly as if trying to keep calm, she replied in a tense voice, "No… it's quite a bit different… I've never felt anything like it before. So I can't really compare."

"Really? I wonder what it's like…" Hinata said wistfully, almost completely enraptured by it. "Can you move it around again like last time…?"

Unable to take it any longer Naruko quickly moved her tail back to her own lap.

Not expecting to have her toy taken away, Hinata complained, "Aww… I didn't mean like that…" Hinata looked over at her friend, and seeing Naruko flushed, looked down at the ground and slumped over slightly. "I am sorry. Are you… mad? It didn't hurt did it?" Hinata said meekly.

Finally able to calm down, Naruko turned towards her, "No it didn't… I can't really describe it, but it wasn't a bad feeling. There is no reason to apologize— I was the one that suggested it to begin with."

Sighing in relief, Hinata faced her friend again. There were still a couple of things she was curious about, so she figured it was okay to ask now, "Those… are your ears now right? Can you hear with them just like your old ones?"

Shaking her head from side to side, Naruko explained, "No, I can actually hear even better with these for some reason. I am not really sure why, maybe because they are bigger?"

"Do you think I could—", Hinata started to ask.

"Maybe some other time!" Naruko replied quickly, covering her ears with her hands.

Hinata blushed in return, turning her head slightly away, with a pouting expression.

They sat in awkward silence for a while.

Uncovering her ears and facing towards the other girl, Naruko spoke up first, "So how have you been Hinata? Have a lot of things changed since we've been apart?"

Looking up at her friend, she replied a bit more quiet than usual, "I've been doing alright… though… it's been a bit lonely without you around." Her eyes shifted down again.

Naruko was unsure how to answer her, so she did something that her mother normally found comforting and rubbed Hinata's head gently.

Hinata felt she was being treated like a child somewhat, but was reminded immensely of the often strange relations they had in the past. She couldn't help but smile, as she gazed back up, "I am glad you haven't changed too much Naruko."

Moving her hand away casually, she asked, "What do you mean by that Hinata?"

Smiling, Hinata replied happily, "Nothing!"

Staying in thoughtful silence for a moment, Naruko started fiddling with her hair, "Have you gotten better with taijutsu since we last sparred?"

"Umm hmm," she confirmed. "My dad has been complementing me a lot lately… I think we've gotten a bit closer because of it, though it really seems like he wants to meet you."

Naruko's hands stopped, and she glanced at Hinata.

"Do you think… you could come over to my house sometime? I am not completely sure how he'll react, but it should be okay…" Hinata said, wavering a bit.

Though very hesitant about it, the suggestion wasn't something she was completely against as being accepted by Hinata's father could ease their relations. It was quite possible, however, that things would go the other way. Deciding to trust her friend's judgment Naruko stated firmly, "I will come meet your family. Just tell me when it is a good time to do so."

Brightening considerably, Hinata replied energetically, "I will!" She was so happy her friend had accepted, and really felt things would be alright.

Going back to playing with her hair, Naruko stared strangely at Hinata, "By the way, your outfit is quite different than last time, what are you wearing exactly?"

"Umm…" a faint flush crept across her face. "It's a haori, with an obi and a ribbon tied in the middle."

"Oh? Do you mind if I touch it Hinata?" Naruko asked curiously.

She did in fact mind, since she had a nagging feeling her friend was going to check whether she was wearing everything correctly. Her mother did help Hinata with it initially, but today she had put it on all by herself. Though a bit uneasy about it, she said, "Okay…"

Naruko stood up and kneeled down in front of Hinata. She raised her hands near the girl and swept over the front of the outfit briefly, then coming in closer moved her arms behind her friend and hovered her hands behind a bit, before returning. "It's made out of the same material as my old kimono. How is it colored?"

Clearly surprised Naruko had said nothing about how she had worn it, Hinata replied bashfully, "The pants are black, the haori is dark blue, and…"

Thinking nothing of Hinata's hesitation Naruko remained silent waiting.

"The obi is white, while the ribbon is red," Hinata finished quickly.

"Those are the same colors as my clothes," Naruko said plainly, clearly having no indication that anything was amiss.

Hinata was relieved and irritated at the same time her friend didn't notice the pattern.

"I think they suit you, though I wish I could actually see it with my eyes," Naruko said mildly subdued. "Are those your favorite colors?"

"Well, the dark blue is kind of, but—", Hinata wondered if she should just come out and say it, would Naruko think she was strange? She shook her head slightly in denial. They had done too many other weird things together for this to have any negative impact, "The white and red I picked out because they match your outfit."

Naruko's ears drooped slightly and she glanced down at her friends lap momentarily, before looking back up, "…really?"

Hinata nodded sheepishly.

It was the same reason she had chosen hers when her mother had bought her own clothes. She had felt it would make them closer as a family. Shifting her attention back up to Hinata, she said lightly, "I don't really know what to say…. but thank you Hinata."

"It's nothing I really need to be thanked for," she said quietly in embarrassment.

Standing up, Naruko sat back down next to her friend. She suddenly remembered something she had forgotten about while they were chatting, "So who's the third team member? Haha-ue wouldn't tell me."

"I don't think you've met him yet, but his name is Kiba," Hinata replied casually.

She was right. It wasn't a name Naruko had heard before. Thinking about it now, she realized the whole team was made up of females except for him. Quite the opposite of her last team, which was how she understood the groups were usually formed, two male genin and one female with a Jounin leader. Though the Jounins varied, there were a lot more male than female, for whatever reason.

"What's he like?" Naruko asked curiously.

"Humm… I am not really sure. I never talked to him much but he has this cute white dog, named Akamaru, who's always with him. I think it has to do with his clan."

"So it's a ninja dog of some kind?" Naruko prodded.

"Maybe, I dunno," Hinata said with uncertainty. "He should be here shortly though."

"Haha-ue should be here with food soon too," Naruko added.

"She said she was going to make bentos for us right?" Hinata asked, perking up a bit. She was getting quite hungry now that her friend mentioned food, having been training so much Hinata had been eating a lot more the past few years to keep up with her body's needs.

Naruko nodded, as she started playing with her hair again.

"Aren't you hungry at all Naruko?" Hinata asked curiously.

Glancing at Hinata, she replied, "A bit, but I've been snacking on this—", she pulled out a dried fruit bar from her ninja pouch, "while we've been chatting."

A pouting expression fell across Hinata's face, "I never noticed…"

Breaking off a piece, Naruko held it out to her friend wordlessly.

Hinata blushed slightly and took it gingerly, "Thanks Naruko."

They sat together in relative silence eating the fruit bar, a warm atmosphere having been developed between the two. The occasional breeze blew through the area, cooling them down a bit from the rising heat of the day. A few people had passed through there during their conversation, but most paid them little heed because they were at one of the far corners of the park. Others that came through stopped only briefly to meet up with someone else, or were simply passing by on their way to another location.

* * *

><p>A fair distance away at the Inuzuka Clan household, a boy sat on the steps of the entrance fastening his blue ninja sandals. His hair was short and black. He was wearing plain brown pants and a grey jacket, which had dark fur sticking out from the hood and sleeves. A medium sized white dog sat nearby watching him.<p>

"So our whole team is nothing but girls huh, Akamaru?" the boy quipped to his dog.

Akamaru barked a few times in reply.

"Yeah that's true I do have you with me," the boy replied feeling a bit better. "But you know that blind ninja girl… Naruko, I think her name was, is there too. I haven't heard anything good about her at all."

Akamaru barked a few more times.

"Just wait and see huh?" he said mildly. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Finishing with the straps on his sandals, the boy stood up and called out, "I am heading out everyone!"

A couple of feminine voices from inside answered, "Take care!"

Stepping out, the boy said enthusiastically, "Alright let's go Akamaru!"

The dog barked once in response, and they started jumping over to the meeting place.

* * *

><p>Back in the park, Kurenai sat together with the girls eating their lunch a bit early. She had brought larger portions for Naruko and Hinata, since they tended to eat more. Kurenai was aware that her daughter ate much more than a normal girl, but she was slightly surprised to learn that Hinata was the almost the same way. She guessed it was likely from their near constant training. She knew Naruko was a bit faster than her now and much stronger, from using Guy's weights, but Kurenai wondered just how much her friend had developed.<p>

It was somewhat embarrassing that this was the case but, like most ninjas of her age, training wasn't the highest priority but rather completing missions for the village. Experience and practice naturally followed this way in the various jutsus, but it wasn't anything like when an individual dedicated their time solely to it. The ninjas themselves were also vastly different in the pursuit of their arts, with some being more or less motivated to improve. Many were content with where they were at, often staying only at Chuunin in rank to avoid some of the more high risk missions and responsibilities associated with being a Jounin.

Though all midlevel missions inherently carried some risk, they weren't anything like A and S-Rank ones, in which battles with other high level ninjas were guaranteed or where dangerous foreign assassinations took place. The pay for these missions was substantially higher because of this, but money wasn't a great motivator for the relatively peaceful village of Konoha. Looking at her daughter Kurenai realized she had never seen Naruko in an actual battle yet, and wondered what she was like. She also questioned if there was some genjutsu she could teach her daughter. Due to her blindness, Naruko was immune to most of these, but in return her ability to perform them was poor, just like how she couldn't use transformation technique for the same reason.

For now, she guessed they would probably be doing some D-Rank missions, though she had no doubt that Hokage would have them assigned a C-Rank within short order. She didn't know too much about Kiba, aside from what she read in his profile, but her daughter and Hinata had a lot raw ability. Naruko in particular was already fairly experienced with both mission types. She found it kind of funny how unbalanced this team was, from a typical rookie group, as the boy who failed to pass was actually not even as good as Kiba talent wise. Although her daughter was the only actual sensor-nin, Kiba and Hinata both had excellent tracking skills as well, which was also much unlike other groups. This will certainly be an interesting first experience leading a team, Kurenai thought with a smile.


	26. Chapter 24

(A/N): I recommend listening to Naruto OST - 05 Narutos Daily Life, during the first two sections of this chapter. Youtube as always.

* * *

><p>Chapter 24 – Sea of Stars<p>

It was a sunny day a couple hours past noon at a roadside inn under construction. A well traveled road stood out front along with a small lake that sparkled in the afternoon sunlight. The skeletal frame of the building had a few workers placing down floorboards while outside several more were working on cutting and shaping the large pile of lumber to the right side of the inn, next to the road. There were several wooden horse stations, along with a couple of large braces for sawing, scattered around. Off to the side a large collection of tents were pitched up. And behind it all laid a thick green forest.

Three women sat chatting under the shade of a makeshift stilt hut while looking over some plans. One of them was dressed in red and white ninja garb, while the other two wore commoners' clothing. Near the wooden horses a small group of workers had gathered around a girl dressed in a shrine maiden outfit and were cheering her on as she cut various pieces of lumber with the katana she had slung over her shoulder. Another girl, dressed in a haori and black pants, kept moving large logs over to the braces where several men were constantly sawing down the timbers. A boy near the biggest pile of wood was sweating heavily.

"Damn it… How can those girls lift this heavy-ass wood so easily?" Kiba cursed out loud as he struggled to pick up a large piece of lumber.

A carefree Akamaru sat nearby watching him with a doggy smile and his tongue sticking out as he panted. In response to Kiba's comment he barked a couple of times.

"I am too weak? Bah, what you saying Akamaru, you should try lifting one these things!" Kiba complained.

The dog barked once back.

"With what? I dunno… use your mouth or something," Kiba said vaguely as he struggled mightily, with veins popping out of his head, to move the log that was several times his own size in length and nearly a foot in diameter. He groaned and moaned, straining until he finally lifted it high enough to start dragging it.

"Umm… Kiba-kun, do you need some help?" Hinata asked hesitantly, as she watched him wrestle the log with all his strength. She was standing a few feet away behind him shuffling her feet, it was clear she had been watching for a short time before she'd asked.

Straining madly, "No….. I…. don't….." Kiba managed to speak out in pieces. There was no way of course, he was going to get a girl to help him. It was embarrassing enough that this was only his third log, where as Naruko and Hinata had moved over two dozen already between the two of them. Naruko was also helping cut the wood in between moves which made him feel even more miserable. Not to mention the fact, the other men were poking good natured fun at him because of this. He prided himself a bit on his strength, and hadn't had too much trouble with the first log, the second was a bit harder, but this third one was much harder. Kiba was running out of steam fast, and he couldn't help but think helplessly that the girls were on a totally different level in strength and stamina.

Hinata watched on with a worried look on her face and asked once more gently, "Are you sure? I don't mind helping…"

Groaning like a bear, he replied, "Y-yeah…."

Akamaru barked several times at his master, as he looked back and forth between him and Hinata.

"Gah…. You're… supposed to be…. on my side…" Kiba said in frustration, dragging the log along sluggishly.

Bewildered by their exchange, Hinata was very curious and decided to ask, "What exactly did he say Kiba?"

"Nothing…" Kiba said quickly, as he paused to rest.

The white dog barked a few times at him.

"Shut up…" he returned, and then resumed dragging the timber along.

She was still a bit concerned about him so she said, "Well… be careful then…"

He just nodded briefly while continuing to struggle with the large section of wood.

Afterwards, Hinata walked over to the huge pile of logs and picked one up casually and carefully walked around him with it over her shoulder.

Glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, Kiba sighed deeply.

* * *

><p>"That girl really is cute with those animal accessories she's wearing. They look so real," one of the women under the hut with long brown hair commented warmly, as she watched Naruko deftly chop the wood while the male workers around her cheered on.<p>

Another woman with a stained apron added, "She sure is, though her words and actions are a bit strange at times. Is she really blind? It's hard to believe it watching her like this."

Kurenai looked over at her daughter, who had a business like expression despite the apparent festivities surrounding her. "Yes she is, and Naruko is probably one of the most capable genin we have at the moment," she replied proudly. Even after three days, these people that hired her team for this high paying D-Rank mission were still under the impression Naruko's ears and tail were mere accessories. It was a bit funny, but Kurenai supposed that would certainly be the first thought normal people would have.

"Really? I am sure she's a delight in your village!" the woman with brown hair said playfully.

Not replying immediately Kurenai kept her face casual, not wanting to spoil anything for these kind people. She said, "You could say she's the center of attention."

"I'll bet! She does seem very skilled. I can't even see it when she uses that sword of hers to cut the wood up. It's like she's not even moving!" the woman with the apron said in amazement.

These two women were the owners of this inn, along with their husbands. They all appeared to be in their late thirties or early forties. The long brown haired woman was called Tomoko, and had taken quite a fondness to Kurenai's daughter since their time here. She was wearing a plain white blouse with a light brown skirt. Her husband's name was Kenta, a rough and stalwart man. The other woman with the apron was known as Shiori, she had been very welcoming and kind to everyone along with her husband Jun, a somewhat short but muscular man.

Their children were apparently running a popular chain of inns around the Fire Country known as the Sea of Stars. The one they were building now was near the border to the Rain and River Countries and located on a very popular road. It had a splendid early morning view with the lake nearby, which they were also planning on building a marina later that passing travelers could rent boats from and fish or simply relax around the waters.

Laughing, Tomoko asked in an amused tone, "Do you think it's about time we told the men to get back to work instead of watching Naruko-chan?"

"Jun is with them, I am sure he'll get them back into the swing of things in a bit…" Shiori replied lightly.

Smiling knowingly, Tomoko poked, "Are you sure about that…? I think he's more likely to keep them goofing off than getting them back to work."

"He's not like that all the time," Shiori objected weakly.

The men's raucus laughter could be heard in the background.

Tomoko giggled.

"We'll just consider this one of their breaks for the day," Shiori said a bit flushed.

"Fair enough!" Tomoko said happily.

Sighing a bit, Shiori said, "Anyway, considering how much faster things are moving along with her cutting up all the wood, we'll certainly end up finishing much sooner."

"I suppose you're right," Tomoko said, then turned towards Kurenai. "Are you sure we can't pay you guys extra for all of this? We really don't mind, you're all doing such a good job."

"It's back breaking work to move those heavy logs for our men and we would have had to hire several more people to even get it accomplished," Shiori added. "10,000 ryo is really a small price to pay for everything you've done for us so far."

Scratching her head, Kurenai was at a bit of a loss. These two, along with their husbands, had been insisting on this point for the past couple of days now. She had told them during one of their conversations that the team received 20% of the pay for missions, while the village got the rest. Since then they had been adamant about paying them more money. Not for the villages cut but for their own share.

There wasn't anything in the rules against such a thing, as long as the village got its portion, but she had been politely declining out of the goodwill of these people. They all had been so nice and cheerful to them, it wouldn't have felt right to take more money for their services. However Kurenai was at her wits end. Speaking in a defeated tone, "Alright, but only for the Genin, I haven't really been doing any extra work thus far."

Tomoko cheered, "Great! We'll see about paying the girls at least another 5,000 each." Looking at Kiba, she smiled weakly, "Well… he is trying hard at least…"

Shiori laughed a bit in response, saying warmly, "How about another… 1000 for him?"

"Sure, that sounds okay," Tomoko agreed quickly.

"We'll discuss this with our husbands later Kurenai-san," Shiori finished.

"That's settled then I guess," she replied. This had been their most difficult and time consuming mission so far. They had been scheduled to work a week, but it looked like they would be done in another day or two at most. Kurenai had a feeling their next mission would probably be a C-Rank one, since it had been almost two months and this was their seventh D-Rank. Things had been going fairly well between them but Kiba was still a bit distant. She guessed it might be because he was the only male but couldn't be sure.

* * *

><p>Later that night, everyone had gathered around a few of sets of campfires, in the middle of the cluster of tents, and was eating dinner. Naruko and Hinata sat with the owner couples around one of the fires, while the workers, Kurenai, and Kiba were in the other two. The atmosphere was very jovial and many jokes were being cracked all around between them, though Kiba appeared down in the dumps with Akamaru lying nearby. Noticing this, Kurenai had sat down next to him to keep him company and perhaps allow him to open up.<p>

"Hinata-chan sure is different outside of class," Kiba finally spoke up. "I always thought she was kind of gloomy."

Kurenai could guess how Hinata had taken Naruko's absence, she probably been quite lonely more than anything without her friend around. Hinata had always been very shy around others, but she had changed quite a bit. She was certainly much more confident about herself, and though still not quite as open as others, much less reserved, "You know those two are friends right? They've known each other for about six years now.

"Oh? I always thought it was just some girly thing to stick together. That does make a lot of sense though," Kiba said perking up a bit.

Akamaru barked a couple of times at his master.

"Yea, just like you and me boy," Kiba replied.

Curious, Kurenai asked nonchalantly, "So what do you think about those two?"

Kiba remained silent for a moment. Kurenai reminded him a lot of his own sister, so didn't think she had any weird intentions, and decided to be honest. "Well Naruko is really polite for some reason to me. I don't think she's a bad person at all, from the few times I've spoken to her so far. Certainly nothing like what the rumors about her said. Hinata is nice to me and seems to want to get along, but it's been a bit hard. She and Naruko are both very pretty, so it's difficult to talk to them sometimes, especially when they are together."

Smiling warmly, Kurenai was happy to hear his feelings about the other two finally. She knew there was some tension between the three of them, but this wasn't anything particularly strange or difficult to deal with. She decided not to tease him, in light of the situation, asking instead, "So you don't think about Naruko's ears and tail much then?"

"Nah, I thought it was kinda weird to begin with, but my clan has a close bond with dogs. I don't think I can say anything about her because of something like that. And she seems pretty normal to me compared to some others I have met," Kiba said with a shrug, feeling better now. Stretching out, he asked, "So this mission is supposed to last a week right?"

"Yes, but we should probably be done by tomorrow. The owners also said they would be paying you guys extra money for your hard work," Kurenai said casually.

"That's cool. We haven't been making much from the ones before this. Though I can't wait until we start doing some real ninja work, these D-Rank missions are pretty boring," Kiba said with a yawn. It was getting quite late.

"It shouldn't be much longer, so just hang in there Kiba," Kurenai said encouragingly. "As for the girls, I wouldn't worry too much, they are not very conscious of their appearance. So don't let it bother you, and just talk to them normally."

"Humm… yeah I guess you're right, now that I think about it. I'll try and get along with them better tomorrow," he said yawning again, as he stood up.

"Good night Kiba-kun" Kurenai said warmly.

"Night Kurenai-sensei."

* * *

><p>The next day Team 8 finished moving and getting the entire pile of wood cut, a little past midday. The inn wasn't exactly complete, but their heavy labor was all their group had been hired for, so the rest was up the carpenters and woodworkers. The two couples stood our front next to the road along with the ninja.<p>

"Take care everyone! Thanks for all your help!" Shiori said in gratitude.

"Be sure to drop by our inns sometime, we'll let you guys stay a night free of charge," Jun added merrily.

Tomoko was rubbing Naruko's head gently with a smile. "See you around Naruko-chan! And safe travels to the rest of you!" she said cheerfully.

"Don't forget about us, we hope things go well for you in the future", Kenta said warmly.

The team had already said all their said goodbyes and started heading back to the village after the owners finished, waving their hands in parting.


	27. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 – Escort Duty

It was as Kurenai had predicted. A couple of days after their return they were assigned their first C-Rank mission in the early morning. They were to escort a bridge builder, named Tazuna, back to his home country and guard him until the construction was complete. The guard duty itself wasn't supposed to be particularly difficult, but due to the amount of time that was required to finish the bridge, over a month, the mission had the highest pay for its class at 150,000 ryo.

She noticed on leaving the village the man seemed uneasy about the fact that the team mostly consisted of females and children. Though after reassuring him about their capabilities he appeared to relax somewhat. Kurenai was a bit suspicious about this but paid it little mind initially. It was certainly a true their team composition was the opposite of what was considered normal. While they walked the two of them continued to engage in small talk together, along with Hinata who listened intently, as he told stories about the work he did in various places.

The other two trod up front along the road, which was lined on both sides by trees most of the way. Kiba had recently joined Naruko, since he had soon gotten bored of listening to the old man talk. They walked in awkward silence for a while as he slowly worked up the nerve to speak to the always alert and serious Naruko. He found her much more difficult to talk to than Hinata because of this business like attitude during missions. She could be described as lukewarm at the best of times, and unapproachable at the worst. Right now she was somewhere in between, and despite it all Kiba was still quite interested in learning more about her since they rarely got the chance to speak.

With a nudge from Akamaru, who had been walking to his right as he watched the two of them, he finally decided to speak up to her, "So uhh… Naruko-chan, what do you think about our first C-Rank mission?"

She glanced over at him strangely when addressed, speaking under her breath, "First…"

The way she looked at him Kiba thought it might have been a weird question, but she followed up before he could say anything.

"It shouldn't be very difficult, but it is going to take a while. We'll likely have some time to do some training, if we take shifts guarding him," Naruko replied formally.

"Ugh, don't say that. And here I was thinkin' this might actually be fun compared to the ones we've done so far," he groaned.

"Fun?" she asked in an unusually quiet voice.

This time, he really did feel he said something strange, and answered her awkwardly, "Well… you know battles and stuff. I want to be able to use my ninja abilities."

Looking straight ahead she asked distantly, "Do you enjoy killing as well?"

It was a very blunt question and it caught him completely off guard. Kiba scratched his head as a grim look fell across his face; things had certainly become very serious quickly. Also the way she reacted made him become very curious, so he spoke earnestly, "I've not actually killed anyone yet… I can't say how I would take it."

Gazing over at him again, Naruko spoke with a cloudy expression, "It's not fun for me, when people die. As ninjas though, it is an unavoidable fate. Even if we try to restrain ourselves in battle, our training will often take over and we will inevitably deal lethal blows to our enemies. Humans are after all, very fragile— it doesn't take much to kill one. And in the end, it's often the best course of action to eliminate all threats, lest they recover and retaliate later."

Her words were like the impact of a boulder, abruptly disorienting and numbing his senses. Kiba almost stopped walking and would have, if it weren't for Akamaru nudging him once, sensing his master's confusion. Although he didn't quite understand everything she had said; it was obvious she was speaking from some experience. And one thing was very clear to Kiba— this was the first time she had opened up to him. He would've been happy about it, were the topic not something quite so grave. Suddenly, he felt something poke his cheek, it was Naruko's finger.

"Don't worry about it too much Kiba-san. I think you'll be alright, you're different than they were," she spoke with a soft edge. His long silence, sluggish steps, and slowed heartbeat had spoken volumes to her. This was much unlike the way the other two boys in her previous team had reacted and lent support to his earlier words.

Naruko's unexpected change in attitude, and the warm tone which he had never heard her use before when speaking to him, caused him to become a bit embarrassed despite himself. He replied gruffly, "If you think so, I guess it might be true." He was hesitant to admit it but she was probably more mature than him, regardless of the fact they were the same age. Kiba vaguely remembered hearing somewhere that girls grew up faster than boys and he felt like it was true this time.

Deciding to change topics, she asked about something that piqued her interest during the previous mission. "So what were those men from the inn construction group laughing at you about anyway?" Naruko asked light tone.

Glancing over at her daughter and Kiba, Kurenai could tell something had changed between them during their earlier conversation. She hadn't been paying them much attention then since she was listening to Tazuna, but it was clear the two of them were closer now. Shifting her eyes towards Hinata, she could tell the girl wanted to join them. Her eyes had been straying towards Naruko, since the atmosphere between her and Kiba had changed. Waiting for a pause in the old man's story, she finally said casually, "Why don't you go on ahead with them Hinata?"

Realizing she had been caught, Hinata blushed slightly, "Umm…." She looked questioningly at Tazuna.

The old man laughed heartily, "Hah, don't worry about me. I am surprised you listened intently as long as you did, most children aren't interested in my stories about bridge building."

"I am sorry, I really do like them Tazuna-san, it's just that…" Hinata paused, her eyes hovering over the other genin, she couldn't finish her thought.

Tazuna smiled and waved his hand dismissively, "Really, it's no trouble at all. I can understand that you would rather talk with your friends than hear the tales of an old man. It's not like I'll start feeling lonely or anything."

Hinata wasn't sure whether he was trying to convince her to go or stay.

Sensing her confusion, Kurenai spoke up, "Don't worry Hinata, he really doesn't mind. He's just teasing you that's all."

"Oh… okay," she said then started walking faster to catch up to the other two.

While he watched her go, Tazuna couldn't help think of the differences between average people and ninjas. "Those kids are quite something to have to bear this kind of burden at their age. Regular children have their own problems, but this sort of work is not what anything that would ever be expected of them," Tazuna said, taking a sip of his sake bottle.

Kurenai stared at him and spoke calmly, "It is our way of life. Not all of them initially have a choice in the matter, but not all of them are forced into it either. Though it varies with the family, if the child is not capable enough or does not wish to be one down the line, we usually allow them the freedom to leave our ranks. We exist out of necessity to protect our countries, and offer our services to those around us who may require them."

The answer seemed like a prepared one to Tazuna, but he understood clearly what she was saying. Were it not for their presence, his own country would have no one to turn right now in their time of great need. However those that were after him may have already done the same and he had no doubt they would be after him. He could only hope this team would be able to stop them.

They walked on making only casual attempts at conversation the rest of the day, Kurenai mostly watching the genin chat together.

* * *

><p>That night the group set up camp for the first day of the journey, which had been relatively uneventful. Tazuna, who had been drinking sake most of the day as if it were water, passed out almost immediately after putting down his bedroll. They were camped just to the side of the road, in a small clearing and had a strong fire going near the tent Kiba had insisted on carrying. The team sat around it in a makeshift triangle with Naruko and Hinata close together in one corner, while Kurenai took up another and Kiba along with Akamaru made up the last one.<p>

"It will probably take us another week or so to arrive at this pace," Kurenai stated to the others around the fire as she looked over a map.

"Most of the time we've spent so far on missions has been traveling," Naruko added, as she stroked her tail absently. She had gathered her hair in her lap as well, its red color blending in well with her hakama.

Akamaru barked a couple of times at Naruko.

She turned her attention towards the dog, then Kiba questioningly.

"He said you have a really fine tail," the boy replied with a grin. "I think he's a bit jealously actually."

Akamaru barked at him again.

He laughed in return, "Don't deny it boy, you can't fool me."

Naruko looked at the fire as a faint flush crept across her face.

"I really like your tail too Naruko," Hinata added warmly, as she stared at it.

Kurenai only looked on in silence with a smile.

"I don't think it's anything special…" Naruko said quietly.

Akamaru barked quite a few times in response.

"He said that's not true at all. The texture of the fur is of high quality, the strands are healthy, and the scent is very pleasant," Kiba finished in an amused tone. He almost added he thought the same thing too, but quickly caught himself.

Ears drooping, Naruko hid her expression behind her hair. However it was clear she was quite embarrassed at the praise, particularly when he mentioned smell.

Giggling, Hinata said, "It sounds like he really likes you Naruko."

The white dog barked once.

"He can't deny that apparently," Kiba said cheerfully. Naruko's hair also had a pleasing scent, he thought, like a sweet aroma of herbs or flowers. Was it some kind of shampoo? He couldn't be sure, what he did know is that it wasn't overdone and seemed natural.

Staring at her friend, Hinata decided to ask a question that had been on her mind for quite a while, "How did you actually get your tail and new ears Naruko?"

Gazing at the fire again, she answered softly, "I don't remember… I just woke up one day and they were there with me. It's hard to say why, but when I first realized I had them, it didn't feel strange at all."

"Is it… hard not knowing?" Hinata asked timidly.

Naruko shook her head, "Hiruzen-sensei said its best not to dwell on things that are outside of your control as it clouds your thinking and creates doubt in your actions."

It was certainly an easy thing to say, Kurenai thought, but she knew for a fact that the Hokage didn't always practice that. Her experience with her daughter and him in the past had taught her much in that regard.

"Not sure I could do that. I'd probably be going crazy if it happened to me," Kiba said with certainty.

"Me either… I think it would be hard," Hinata said, a bit glumly.

They sat in silence for a while until Kurenai started talking about some of the things they had done in the past with the girls.

Kiba felt a bit left out, but this was good in a way too. Looking over at them, he couldn't help but think how lucky he was to be part of this group. Though he initially had felt quite uneasy about this setup things had gotten much better between the others. And they were all very attractive physically. Kurenai had a mature womanly figure and was well endowed. Hinata was starting to form nice curves and had larger breasts than most girls her age, which stood out above her obi. Naruko had a tall slender body and though her chest was smaller than the other two, they fit her quite well. Their faces were all very eye catching too, despite the fact Naruko always had her eyes shut. This did make him wonder what they looked like though.

When the conversation shifted towards the kind of training they would be doing during their downtime on this mission, Kiba joined in.

Wanting to focus on Hinata and Kiba's weak point Kurenai decided to teach them more deeply about genjutsu and how to dispel them if they were ever caught in one. Though Hinata was able to see through most physical illusions with her Byakugan, there were a lot them which worked through her mind directly so it was still quite important for her. Kurenai had already taught her daughter extensively about this, so she instead decided to teach her how to perform one that was appropriate for her condition.

It wasn't a jutsu she performed very often due to the amount of chakra it required, but it would be no problem for Naruko who had substantial reserves that had grown even more since their time together. As things stood her daughter probably had more chakra than all of them combined, which was quite astounding. Glancing at the three of them, she felt it was about time to head to bed.

As if realizing her mother's thoughts, Naruko spoke up firmly, "I'll take the first watch."

Kiba was getting quite sleepy, so this was a wonderful proposal. "Sounds good to me," he said then stood up and headed towards the tent.

Looking at Kurenai, Hinata walked up to her and asked quietly, "Is it okay if I stay up a bit with Naruko?"

Eyeing the both of them, she decided to concede, but said, "Alright, but only for a little while okay? Naruko doesn't need as much sleep as the rest of us, so she'll be fine later."

Hinata replied curtly, "I won't Kurenai-sensei."

Kurenai saw them off and headed towards the tent too.

* * *

><p>The next couple of days passed without incident. However on the fourth morning a few hours after they had started on their way again, Naruko walked up to her mother casually, and whispered to her, "We're being followed."<p> 


	28. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 – Deception

Without looking at her daughter Kurenai whispered back, "Can they see us? Which direction are they following us from and how many are there?"

"There are two of them to the southeast at the moment. They can probably see us but, given their current distance, not very well. Taking into account their level of stealth and the fact they are moving through the trees they are undoubtedly ninjas," Naruko replied quietly.

Ninjas…? This was certainly unexpected, what could this mean? The thought her daughter might be wrong crossed her mind for a second but given her previous experience and her title as a sensor-nin there was very little room for error. The fact they were being followed was certainly important, but who they were after and their intentions was key. Could this have anything to with Naruko's long disappearance? She wondered. "Have they made any hostile movements?"

"Not yet and though they do seem intent on keeping their presence hidden, there is a metal chain of some kind linking them so I heard them coming from much farther than usual. And by the rustling of their clothing they are strangely dressed. It could be a cloak of some kind or very loose fitting clothing to hide weapons. Their physical conditioning and movements are also similar, so they are probably used to working together," Naruko explained.

Kurenai was impressed at her daughter's detailed analysis, especially since she herself still couldn't even detect the two ninjas. Shifting her eyes over to Tazuna, who was chatting with Kiba and Hinata about something, she was reminded of his strange attitude at the start of the mission. It was more likely that this had something to do with that rather than anything involving Naruko— the timing was too convenient. They had the element of surprise on their side now, which was likely to be outside of the expectation of the ones following, should they try anything.

"Keep tracking their movements and let me know if anything changes. We need to know what their objective is before we can act properly," Kurenai said in a hushed whisper.

"I will sensei, but do you think this has anything to do with Tazuna?" Naruko inquired.

"It's very possible. And that would mean it falls outside of the scope of the mission, since we're only supposed to be dealing with bandits or hired thugs at best. We don't have a choice right now though, so keep acting natural and don't tell the others yet. Kiba and Hinata will probably be okay, but Tazuna won't be able to remain composed," Kurenai replied.

Naruko remained silent for a few moments before asking, "Do you want to try to capture them?"

Kurenai understood the meaning behind those words. There was already some risk involved in fighting enemies of unknown strength, particularly since the other two genin lacked practical experience. However trying to capture them would increase this risk substantially and their duty right now also involved protecting a civilian. "No, if they attack us, don't hold back Naruko," she said finally, after considering their options.

"I understand," her daughter replied firmly.

In the end their safety took priority, Kurenai thought. They could always give Tazuna an ultimatum to tell the truth if it came to it. Attempting capture would have also meant revealing their plan to the others which could very well lose them their element of surprise.

* * *

><p>A fair distance away two heavily cloaked men with re-breathing masks stood on a tree branch overlooking the road Team 8 was walking on.<p>

"What do you think brother? Should we rip apart the Jounin first?" the long haired man asked the other one nearby darkly.

Looking over at the group traveling on along the road the other man with short hair replied, "It's probably best Meizu, but there is something strange about one of the genin. She looks likes she has a sword on her back… I didn't think anyone other than ANBU from Konoha use swords."

Gazing over, Meizu's eyebrows wrinkled somewhat, "Do you think the brat might be one then Gozu?"

"It's possible, and if so, that makes her more dangerous than the Jounin," Gozu replied evenly. There was no guarantee of it of course, and the odds were also quite low. "We'll kill the Jounin first as you suggested, but remember the old man is the target."

* * *

><p>Naruko's ears twitched slightly, so those two are after Tazuna, it was just as they thought. Hearing them planning to murder her mother, however, and subsequently moving on past them, she felt something usual well up inside of her. What was that strange overpowering sensation? It compelled her to go after them immediately, making her chest and head heat up, while clouding her thinking. The feeling passed all too quickly for some reason, and left her confused. It was like something had snatched it away from her and she stopped walking. Having become dazed, she brought her hand up to her face.<p>

Hinata, who was chatting idly with her, stopped as well, a concerned look on her face, "What's wrong Naruko?"

The rest of the group halted as well, with Kiba and Tazuna looking questioning at the girl.

Kurenai looked around carefully, but she couldn't detect or see anyone in the vicinity.

Whatever was happening didn't seem to be directly related to the ninjas after them, "Let's take a short break here everyone." Moving up next to Naruko, she spoke softly, "Look around with your doujutsu and see if you can spot anyone Hinata, I'll take a look at Naruko."

Hinata was a bit perplexed initially, but finally nodded in reply then moved away and said, "Byakugan." The veins around the girl's eyes became pronounced as she began scanning the area.

Seeing Hinata's behavior, Kiba and Akamaru became guarded as well and started sniffing the air to help in the search.

Tazuna shifted uncomfortably and put away his sake bottle.

Staring at her daughter, Kurenai could immediately tell something was definitely wrong. Naruko appeared confused and was unsteady on her feet.

Bringing up her other hand to her face. Naruko started speaking, as if in a trance. Repeating the words, "I won't let them", over and over again with her eyelids twitching. Her emotions were in turmoil— the earlier feeling kept rising up and disappearing continuously.

Kurenai's face clouded, a grave look of concern washing over her. Placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders, she spoke as calmly as possible, "Are you alright Naruko? What is it you won't let them do?"

Feeling her mother's touch, and hearing her words, Naruko stopped speaking and her hands moved away from her face. Her eyelids were open and she gazed up at Kurenai, saying softly, "I won't let them hurt you haha-ue."

Her own eyes opened wide and Kurenai was momentarily startled by what she saw— Naruko's irises were changing colors back and forth between blue and green, the normal color of her eyes and that of the other girl inside of her, why was this happening? What did it mean?

The shifting stopped and Naruko's eyelids began to flutter, like she was becoming sleepy then they suddenly closed and she hugged her mother fiercely.

The abrupt action disrupted her thoughts and Kurenai reflexively embraced her daughter in return. She was still quite unsure of what happening, but this natural feeling eased her mind.

Several moments of silence passed between them.

Releasing Kurenai, Naruko stared at her and spoke up calmly, "They said they are planning to kill you sensei, but their target is Tazuna just like we thought. The two of them moved on ahead, and I lost them."

So her daughter reacted like that because she knew they were planning to kill me? Kurenai thought. Looking at Naruko, it was apparent she was very composed now, not a hint of the earlier disorientation. However, it also seemed like she wasn't aware of what just happened. She decided to store this away for now, there were more pressing matters at hand. "Did they get out of your detection range?" Kurenai asked.

"Yes, at least while I was walking, though I can't feel or hear them around us anymore, even now while standing still," Naruko replied, then added. "The only things I can sense now are the animals around us, and a stream a little ways ahead. Should we question Tazuna about this now?"

"No, let's hold off on that until after they have been dealt with. We need to get moving soon too, so we don't make the ones after us suspicious," Kurenai said quickly.

Naruko nodded.

"I have a plan now that we know what their objectives are," she added.

* * *

><p>As the group continued along the road, they started coming up on the stream that Naruko had sensed earlier. It was relatively small and had a walkway spanning the gap in the road, which was just wide enough to allow a large cart to go over. Hinata was walking up front with Tazuna. A bit behind her, Kiba was reading a map with Akamaru next to him. Following behind him, Naruko appeared to be walking casually but she was completely on guard, still not having detected the two ninjas from earlier. Kurenai trailed a ways behind her daughter, seemingly lost in thought about something.<p>

When everyone had crossed the walkway, the two brothers acted quickly. Springing out from the water in the stream, they landed to either side, behind the woman. There was a spike ridden chain between them connected by two large wicked claw gauntlets.

Naruko noticed them immediately and spun around rapidly, hand on her sword.

With a quick jerk of their gauntlet arms the chain coiled and looped around Kurenai, who had been caught unaware by their ambush.

Rushing forward to aid her mother, Naruko reached into her pouch and tossed one of her black smoke bombs on the ground near Kurenai.

Catching hold of their target, the brothers braced themselves and yelled out at the same time, "Die!" They lost sight of the woman quickly however, in the smoke that billowed forth.

Naruko had disappeared into the smoke as well.

Kiba, Hinata, and Akamaru heard them cry out behind them and made a defensive circle around Tazuna.

The two men still feeling the tension between them jerked their chain apart. The motion caused the bands around the woman to tighten and tear through her body. The brothers exulted in the sensation, but it was only momentary, as their link suddenly became taut.

Kurenai, who had been following the group stealthily through the trees on the left side of the road, stopped just short of the attackers and made very fast series of hand symbols.

Making a quick slash through the spot her mother once stood, Naruko severed the chain which caused the two men to stagger backwards.

Meizu abruptly bumped against a tree trunk. He felt something beginning to snake around his legs, body and arms. Looking down in a panic, he saw a tree was wrapping itself around his body. Too late, he realized they themselves had been ambushed. The man struggled intensely, but it was futile then he sensed something in front of him.

A figure was taking shape from nothing but mud before the long haired man. Solidifying, the body colored and Kurenai's visage became clear— there was a kunai in her hand. "This is the end for you," she said severly, then threw the weapon at the man's throat.

Seeing the girl with the sword coming out of the smoke at him, Gozu realized how incredibly fast she was and barely had time to react. Releasing the chain mechanism quickly, he made a hard swing at her with his claw gauntlet, as he reeled backwards trying to get his footing.

Naruko dodged backwards to avoid the man's attack, then made lightning fast downward slash that took his gloved arm off. Immediately leaning sideways, she followed up with a vicious kick to his midsection.

The blow was so powerful it broke Gozu's ribs where it connected, rupturing several of his internal organs, and causing him to fly back a few dozen feet. He crashed roughly through several pieces of shrubbery, before skidding limply to a halt.

Landing a short distance away from the man, Naruko gazed down at him. She noticed his breathing was very weak and immensely strained.

The man was so disoriented and in so much shock, he could barely feel the pain from his lost limb. Vaguely looking up at her, Gozu saw her sword in hand and blinked slowly. He was unable to speak.

With a sad expression on her face, Naruko said quietly, "May you find peace in death."

Gozu felt something pierce his heart, and he lost consciousness.

Placing her hands together before her, Naruko bowed then walked away listlessly.

* * *

><p>The group stood staring at the fresh graves they had prepared for the two brothers. Kurenai seemed fairly calm, but Hinata and Naruko both wore sad expressions. Tazuna appeared quite nervous about the state of affairs— they hadn't said anything to him yet regarding the issue. Though it was clear from Kurenai's gaze at him earlier that they knew something of what was going on. Kiba had a strange mixture of expressions and appeared to be wrestling with something in this mind.<p>

Everything had happened so quickly, he didn't have time to do anything when the ambush occurred. Apparently Kurenai and Naruko had known about these two beforehand, but only stressed earlier they should guard Tazuna carefully, not mentioning anything about these ninja. He was more upset than anything that he had been left out of the loop, but understood somewhat why the other two didn't mention anything. "Who were they?" Kiba asked roughly.

"They were missing-nin from the village of Kirigakure, known as the 'Demon Brothers'. The two were apparently twins who had defected some years ago, along with several others," Kurenai explained.

Though frightened and startled initially by what occurred earlier, Hinata had mostly calmed down now. The main reason for this had been Naruko's sad expression when she returned from the woods, after having killed the other ninja. This was the first time she had ever seen her friend make that kind of face and it moved her even more deeply than the deaths she had witnessed. Her father had talked about what it was like when people died, but being around it like this was so much different. "Why did they attack us?" Hinata asked quietly.

Naruko spoke up this time, "They were after Tazuna."

Looking directly at the man, Kurenai spoke in a severe tone, "Someone hired them to kill you, but they were Chuunin level ninjas and were not what we expected to face on a C-Rank mission. Why did you lie to us about what the mission would entail?"

Glancing over at her serious face the man knew he didn't have any choice left in the matter, so he decided to tell them everything. He spoke about his countries poor economic state and how they couldn't afford to pay for a higher ranking mission. The desperate situation they were in, trying to build a bridge to have a free link to the outside world, and the fact a powerful corrupt business man named Gato was behind all of their troubles.

"So without this bridge your country will likely fall into ruin," Naruko said after he finished. "Did you know anything about this sensei?"

Kurenai shook her head, "We typically don't pay much attention to the smaller countries that lack ninja forces and this was something that occurred within the past six months."

"Those poor people…" Hinata said distressed.

Scratching his head Kiba said, "So basically right now we're doing a mission, we aren't being paid enough for and that's more dangerous than it was supposed to be. What should we do Kurenai-sensei?"

Glancing at the graves then back at her team, she knew things would likely become even more serious from here on out. If what Tazuna said was true however, denying him help would be condemning a lot of people. She wanted to hear what they had to say, "What does everyone else think we should do?"

Hinata looked at her team leader and replied firmly, "We should keep guarding him Kurenai-sensei." Though Tazuna had lied to them, she couldn't help but feel a degree of responsibility and obligation towards the livelihood of the people in Wave Country.

"I'm down for this," Kiba said confidently, this would mean more chances for him to prove himself to the girls and help those people. Even though he wasn't quite sure he could actually kill anyone yet, he had seen Naruko attack that Chuunin without hesitation and subsequently end his life afterwards. He thought it might have been to protect Kurenai at first, but when he discovered that had been a clone of hers, it was clear Naruko's actions were more instinctual or basic. Kiba couldn't help but be a bit awed and scared at the same time by her, and he was glad she was on his team.

Naruko spoke up last, "This will be dangerous, but those people will be lost without us." In reality, logic and rules dictated that this wasn't something they should be going forth with. The man's lie could have cost one of her team members lives had the situation been different. If he had admitted what they would be up against from the beginning, she would have been much more agreeable to the mission. Hinata's own decisive reply was what made her concede.

Though her daughter's words weren't so much an agreement, she felt this was probably the closest thing. She knew Naruko had been weighing the options in her mind and was still reluctant about it, much like herself, given the circumstances. They would no doubt be facing even stronger opponents from here on out, possibly Jounin in level, which was not a task for typical genin. "Alright then, we'll continue on with the mission Tazuna," Kurenai finished.

The man appeared very relieved and bowed to them, "Thank you very much Konoha ninjas."


	29. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 – Signs

Standing along the eastern edge of the Land of Fire, the group had reached a smooth turn in the road. It had only taken them six days to get there, though they still had to cross over to the island country somehow. A thick morning fog blocked much of their view, but the ninjas couldn't see any piers anywhere and were wondering how they would proceed. Most of the forest around them ended just short of the sea, along the low cliff side, though a few roots and trees could be seen collapsed here and there. The bend in the road they were on continued south a short ways, providing, for a time, a clear path of travel.

"My country is just beyond this mist here," Tazuna said while pointing ahead. "The bridge we're building will connect further south along the cliffs. We would have liked to have put it here, but this area's stability is rather poor, particularly during high tide. It would of—"

Kiba sighed, "Hey old man, how about you just tell us how we're going to cross?"

He was in no mood to listen further to Tazuna's talk about his trade; it was a long dead topic as far as he was concerned.

Though no one else said anything, they were all anxious to find out as well, except Naruko who seemed unusually subdued.

Gazing over at her, Kurenai could guess what the problem was, her daughter had been getting very little, if any, sleep since that night they were attacked. Naruko was taking her role as the group's sensor-nin very seriously, and had been keeping a steady vigil almost the entire time. The only occasion she slept, was for a couple of hours when Hinata took her turn at watch, yesterday with her Byakugan. She would need to have a talk with her about this sometime soon, as well as about what happened just before those ninjas assailed them.

Tazuna wasn't really certain of his answer. He only hoped that his friend was still waiting to help them cross… He had lost a lot of people from the construction team before he left— coercion of the families, along with promises of even higher tariffs on shipped goods had reduced their numbers dramatically. "There should be someone waiting for us with a boat near the connection point, but I don't know whether he is still there or not."

"Hinata, can you check?" Kurenai asked.

The girl nodded and closed her eyes briefly then opening them, she stared south, "There is a man camped along the banks, at the bottom of the cliffs, he has a small boat nearby."

"Alright, well let's stop standing around then and get going, right Kurenai-sensei?" Kiba said hurriedly while looking at her.

Naruko glanced at her mother.

Kurenai only smiled slightly and nodded, it was obvious he was getting impatient after their long trip, she couldn't blame him.

* * *

><p>As they crossed over slowly to the island, neither Tazuna nor the boatman spoke, seemingly afraid to make any more noise than necessary.<p>

Akamaru lay next to his master with his head on the boys lap, apparently sensing the tense atmosphere. Kiba looked like he wanted to say something, but kept quiet in light of his faithful companion's behavior.

It appeared that what Tazuna said was indeed true if this level of caution was warranted, Kurenai thought. Gato's reins were tight on these people and she could only imagine the methods he utilized to make them like this.

Hinata was feeling very uneasy about the ride as well, it was clear things had changed dramatically since they entered the boat. Looking over at Naruko, who was sitting across from her next to Kiba, her friend had a very distant look on her face while her hand gently skimmed the surface of the water. _What was she thinking about?_ Hinata wondered. Despite all their time together, she felt like there was some sort of space between them now, which was different from Kurenai-sensei somehow.

_Did it have something to do with the deaths of those men earlier?_ Thinking back, she still hadn't gotten an answer from her friend about what happened to the other team she was assigned to either. Every time she started to bring up the subject, Naruko would become very quiet suddenly, so she had never pursued the topic further. Perhaps, she would try again after they settled down at Tazuna's house.

It took them nearly two hours at their slow pace to get to one of the southern ports. Approaching the dock, the mist finally started to clear and a fairly aged marina came into view. This seemed to be one of the lesser used ports since it and the various buildings nearby, appeared to have recently fallen into disrepair, plus traffic here was non-existent at the moment. Only a single fisherman sat at the end of one of the two piers, and he had a listless expression, as if the only reason he was there was to make ends meet.

"Is the rest of the country like this?" Kurenai asked in a low voice.

"Yeah it is," replied the boatman.

"In some cases it's worse," Tazuna added.

"We should avoid the town for now then, given the circumstances, there may be people set up to watch for your return. I'd like to avoid conflict if possible, at least until tomorrow," Kurenai explained.

Tazuna glanced at the boatman and the man nodded. Though he was eager to get back to work, he could understand her desire for rest after the journey. He was willing to give in to almost any request of theirs, since they were still helping him even after they found out about his deception.

* * *

><p>It was a little past midday when the group finally arrived at Tazuna's house. The man was living with his daughter named Tsunami and a grandson called Inari. They made their home in a fishing house built upon a small island over the water, with a walkway that extended all around its walls and a pier that connected it to the mainland. The house also had two floors, with the first containing most of the daily living rooms, while upstairs was where all the bedrooms were located. The entrance had a dining table and kitchen, and was where the group did most of their talking.<p>

Due to the obvious danger the bridge builder was in, Kurenai felt it prudent to split the team into two groups, one to guard his family and the other to guard Tazuna, during the course the day. The old man readily agreed to this, though Tsunami appeared rather glum about it for some reason. They never even got to see the Inari that first day, even during dinner time, despite the several attempts by the boy's mother to get him to come down. After everyone ate, Tazuna discussed his plans to head to town under the cover of darkness and put up a notice in his office, so the attendant there could contact the rest of the workers for tomorrow.

Kurenai agreed to this and went on alone with him, since there was little cause for concern yet and told the eager Kiba to watch over the family. While instructing her daughter and Hinata to get some rest, because they would be the first ones to guard Tazuna on the bridge early in the morning. Later Naruko slipped out alone, as Kiba and Hinata chatted with Tsunami around the table about everything that was going on in their small country.

"So things are really as bad as the old man said they were huh?" Kiba said casually.

"Our country is slowly being choked of its life by that ruthless man named Gato. Every day it becomes harder to get food and the daily necessities, because of the high costs people are forced to charge to keep up with the tariffs. With his complete control over the shipping industry, there is little we can do to stop him. The only person who ever stood up to him…" Tsunami became quiet all of a sudden.

Hinata looked at the woman in concern, _was it something hard to say?_

"What happened?" Kiba asked bluntly.

The woman remained silent a few more moments before replying softly, "He was my husband Kaiza, they murdered him publicly… to make an example to the rest of us."

"I am so sorry to hear that," Hinata said tenderly. "It must have been really hard for you."

The woman nodded silently, but said nothing fearing she might start crying in front of these kids, the wounds of it were still fresh on her mind.

Kiba shifted awkwardly, "Yeah… sorry about that."

They sat for a while without saying anything more.

Hinata sat in thought about something during that time and finally asked, "What about the government?"

Perking up slightly, Kiba chimed in, "That's right, why would they allow such a thing? Wouldn't it be illegal?" Even he had a basic understanding about these things, as they were taught at the academy as part of their studies.

Having regained her composure somewhat, Tsunami answered, "They wouldn't normally… but from what the rumors say, Gato has bribed many of the officials. So he has them under his thumb and is mostly free to do as he wills."

"That's terrible… I wish there was something we could do to help," Hinata said.

Tsunami shook her head, "You are doing enough by protecting my father while he builds this bridge. When he completes it, much of the pressure and burden on the village will be lifted, since we'll be able to freely trade with other countries without having to worry about importing or exporting our goods through the shipping routes."

"We'll keep everyone safe for the time being, you can rest assured," Kiba said confidently.

"Yes, we'll do our best to guard your family," Hinata followed up.

"Thank you, I can't express how much we appreciate the fact you're doing this despite us not being able to pay you the right amount for your services," Tsunami said kindly. Looking around she added, "By the way, where is that girl with the animal accessories at?"

The two ninjas both looked around, and noticed Naruko was indeed gone.

Kiba started to get up, but Hinata quickly interjected, "I'll go look for her, you can stay here Kiba and watch over them—"

The boy looked at her strangely as if he was seeing a different person.

"…if you want to I mean," Hinata amended quietly.

"Humm… alright," Kiba said gruffly. Things had sure become weird lately between her and Naruko, _but what could it be about he wondered_?

Walking out the front door Hinata spotted Naruko almost right away, sitting under a tree along the grassy banks near the pier.

She was alert as usual, and was already looking over in her friend's direction.

For whatever reason, Hinata never felt it was strange that Naruko stared at people when talking to them, regardless of the fact she was blind. She knew it was a polite thing to do, but it had been difficult for her in the past. Making her way hurriedly over to her friend across the pier, she sat down next to her quietly with her legs sideways.

Naruko turned her attention to the sea, speaking softly, "I apologize for not saying anything when I left Hinata."

"No no… it's okay," the girl responded quickly. She wouldn't ask what the reason was; it was obvious something was bothering her friend. Hinata had known Naruko long enough to realize she would speak of these things when she felt comfortable enough. Though she couldn't help but feel she was always trying to play catch up, in one way or another.

"So you didn't bring your weights with you, did you forget them?" Naruko asked pointedly, as she stared at Hinata's wrists and ankles.

"Kind of… I got so used to wearing them, I stopped noticing I had them on and eventually started to lose track of them," Hinata explained.

"That makes sense, I used to always give you my old ones after I got used to them too before I left," Naruko stated a bit absently.

This seemed like the perfect chance to ask again, so Hinata went ahead, "Naruko…"

Turning towards her friend she said, "Yes?"

"Can I ask you about what happened…" she paused uncertainly, looking down.

Naruko knew where this was going and poked Hinata in the cheek, "May I use your lap as a pillow? I am a bit tired."

Hinata was thrown off by the abrupt request, but she didn't see any harm it. After thinking about it a bit longer, she replied playfully, "Only if I can touch your ears."

The girl faltered for a moment then casually laid her head on her friend's lap.

"It's as soft as I thought it was," Naruko commented. "Have you really been keeping up with your train—"

Hinata ruffled her friend's ears before she could finish.

Naruko cooed in response, quickly becoming embarrassed.

Giggling, Hinata smiled, casually starting stroking her friend's long silky red hair.

It took a bit before Naruko was able to compose herself, "About your question… I am sorry for not answering you for so long. It's just that I was told not to say anything regarding it." There was another much more compelling reason too…

_Was it something really serious_? Hinata wasn't sure what to say, so she just listened.

"I told you about how I wasn't getting along with the other two genin, but was doing well with my team leader… It was like that for a while until our very last mission…" Naruko paused briefly. She felt some strange sensations welling up inside of her again, "We never finished that mission, because along the way the others attacked me."

Hinata's hands stopped moving, "You mean… your team… attacked you?

"Yes… the two genin were trying to kill me, but the Jounin was just trying to incapacitate me… to… to…" Naruko stopped this time, her breathing was rapid now. "I can't remember everything very clearly… but I killed the genin myself… and it seems like I might have killed the Jounin too."

Hinata was dazed after hearing her friend's words, so many thoughts were swimming through her head she couldn't think clearly. Such a terrible thing had happened to Naruko and she had been holding it in all this time, not saying anything about it to anyone. It seemed like a miracle she was even still alive… What could she say? What should she say? She wasn't sure, she didn't know.

Naruko got up and started to leave.

The movement snapped Hinata out of her daze like a lightning bolt, and she grabbed her friend's hand quickly, "No wait! Please… I… I don't think you did you anything wrong, they… attacked you… it's not your fault." Getting up, she hugged Naruko fiercely, "It's not your fault… you were only defending yourself…"

Naruko didn't say anything but embraced Hinata in return. _Why was Hinata like this?_ She had fully expected to be shunned or abandoned after telling her about how she killed her other team… and yet here she was embracing her gently and saying it wasn't her fault… Naruko felt like she had come to understand a little more about what a friend was supposed to be like.

Holding her friend, Hinata felt like she was older somehow in this moment, even though Naruko was a lot smarter and usually more mature, she was very sensitive at times. They stayed together like this with Hinata comforting her friend with words for quite some time, and that night Naruko slept more soundly than she had in the many months since their parting.

* * *

><p>The next morning, she woke up even earlier than usual feeling quite refreshed. Tazuna woke up a couple of hours later. Kurenai, who had been keeping watch, told Naruko be careful then went to bed shortly afterwards. She woke up Kiba before heading out with the old man, leaving Hinata behind to sleep longer. They had chatted together for many hours past her friend's normal bed time, and Naruko had actually carried her inside, because Hinata had fallen asleep while they were relaxing towards the end. When she and Tazuna arrived at the bridge, the rest of the workers had already gathered, since they lived much closer to it. The foreman handed out his instructions on the plan for the day and everyone soon got to work.<p>

It was a bit cloudy that day, but Naruko didn't think it would rain, she could easily tell by the smell. Sitting off to the side, she tried to keep out of everyone's way, until around midday when they all took off for lunch. The two of them came back very quickly though, well before everyone else, and Tazuna said something to Naruko she didn't understand, but was quite adamant about her NOT following him.

The girl had been around him everywhere he went, without regard for much of anything causing him a great deal of discomfort and embarrassment, in no small part due to her gender and appearance. She conceded only after hearing he wouldn't be very far off, being told vaguely where he could be found, and that he would be back shortly. It was still risky she thought, but the man was so flustered, she it would be ok decided to let him go this one time.

Hinata showed up breathing hard a bit later, with an accusing look on her face, "Why didn't you wake me up earlier Naruko…! Kiba said so many mean things to me before I left, while Tsunami just smiled the whole time… And—"

Naruko just stared at her with a peaceful expression, while Hinata vented away.

"Where is Tazuna anyway? We're supposed to be with him all the time aren't we?

"He said he had to go do number two, whatever that meant," Naruko answered.

Hinata blushed, "Oh…" then walked over and sat down next to her friend on the pile of covered construction materials.

"Do you know what it means?" Naruko asked curiously.

"Well… uhh… its nothing, I am sure he won't be long", she evaded the question.

"I see, that's what he said too," Naruko replied. "We'll just keep waiting then."

Suddenly a thin mist started forming around them.

"That's strange, I didn't know it could come up this high," Hinata said in surprise.

Sensing the moisture all around them, Naruko stated seriously, "This isn't natural."


	30. Chapter 28

(A/N): To keep from making any unnecessary notes, I will no longer say when the character stats or lore section have been updated. If you see something new, like in this chapter, changes will likely have been made. For best effect: play Naruto Shippuden OST Denkousekka when Naruko throws down a smoke bomb, also when she says "Release", play Naruto Shippuden OST Hyakkaryouran. Hope everyone enjoys the fight!

* * *

><p>Chapter 28 – Battle on the Bridge<p>

As dense, thick fog began to form at an unnatural rate around the two girls, Naruko stood up abruptly and Hinata followed suit. All around them, lithe, muscular figures landed through the fog, surrounding the duo from every angle.

Though momentarily confused by the water-like feel she was getting from these figures, Naruko quickly regained her bearings and unsheathed her sword in a flash, emitting a brief ringing sound.

Hinata's hands formed a familiar seal and she called out in a small voice, "Byakugan!" Within moments, the fog was cleared due to the exceptional vision and she saw the identical copies of a frightening man, with a face wrapped in bandages and a gigantic sword strapped to his back. He appeared to be made of water. Panic flooded her body, chilling her as she looked desperately to Naruko.

The red haired girl held her sword out before her horizontally, one hand on the back of the blade, as the figures stalked closer. With a spirited voice, she threw out, "Sword Art: Whirl of Leaves!" Hundreds of green leaves appeared all around them and a massive wind tunnel began circling both girls and the clones. Quickly sheathing her weapon, she snaked her arm around Hinata's waist, "We're moving!"

Although confused, her friend's steady voice, prompted her to action and she held Naruko in return. No sooner had she done so, then they were propelled high up into the air together, arcing backwards in their ascent. Looking down she saw the wind tunnel sealing up and the figures trapped inside try to follow, but instead hitting the wispy wall.

The leaves were soon collected into the tunnel and turned into blades, before darting outwards inside in a criss crossing pattern, slaying watery figures and causing them to make puddles on the ground. The fog was dispersed in the process.

Hinata was impressed by power of the jutsu. She had never seen Naruko use it before and so quickly no less, as if she realized the inherent danger of the situation.

Landing on the far edge of the bridge with Hinata, Naruko stared straight ahead. "They're here," she said calmly, releasing her friend's waist.

She noticed the two approaching figures as well. The first was tall, lithely built with broad shoulders displayed in his sleeveless black shirt and loose combat pants. Bandages adorned his face, hiding much of it from view. The other was a shorter male whose face hidden by a ceramic ANBU mask. Long bangs curtained the white porcelain, the rest of his hair tied into a bun. He wore a lose fitting green haori that covered a simple brown shirt and was tied at his waist by a similarly colored brown obi. His legs were clad a in a short hakama.

Naruko wondered why they appeared out in the open though. _Perhaps they were expecting to be hidden by the fog?_

"Oh-ho! That's an interesting technique you have there, girl. I've never seen anything like it, but using your trump card right away won't do you Genin much good," the taller man spoke loud enough for them to hear, his voice deep and sinister.

The shorter male eyed Naruko strangely. _Is she blind? And what's with those ears?_

"Do you know who they are?" Naruko asked quietly, her body remaining tense and on guard.

"No, but those water clones that tried to attack us, look just like the taller one," Hinata replied equally silent, as she scanned them, Byakugan blazing. Hinata could tell these ninja much stronger than the other two that attacked them on the road, particularly the tall one. She was almost shaking, but it seemed like Naruko wasn't scared at all.

Noticing the red haired girl's ears as well, the tall man laughed maliciously. "What's this? A ninja playing dress up? Ridiculous. It seems like the two brothers were killed by your Jounin, a pity he isn't here now. This is quite unfortunate for the both of you," he said menacingly.

_Why was the dark blue girl holding onto the red haired one?_ The masked male wondered. _Was she scared of them?_ The redhead on the other hand, appeared unfazed by the presence of himself or Zabuza-sama. This was highly peculiar given their circumstances and the fact his master was emitting an overwhelming killing intent. _Could she not feel fear?_

Understanding their objective Naruko said nothing. Judging by the tall man's unusually large sword, he must be very strong. The shorter one however, seemed almost feminine in comparison. She couldn't tell much about him other than his lack of intent to fight them, as his guard was fairly loose unlike the one next to him. Feeling Hinata's strong grip on her, Naruko was very concerned for her safety, but she needed her friend's aid for this.

Gently, she removed the other girl's arm, and whispered, "We're going to have to fight them. Hinata, I need your help."

Naruko's touch and words snapped the girl out of her growing anxiety, and she reacted very strongly to the word 'need'. It was the first time anyone had ever said such a thing to her. Moving away from her friend, she felt her confidence slowly begin to return and nodded.

"Hm. It seems you are willing fight, for what little good it will do you," Zabuza commented mildly, as he watched them take up their stances. _The pair seems strangely optimistic all of a sudden_; he thought with a twisted smirk, _they probably don't know anything about me_. _Well whatever, let's see how they do against my tool first_, he was curious to see if the girl with the sword actually knew how to use it. If the two turned out to be useless, he would join the battle and kill them immediately.

"It's better if I fight the one with the sword," Naruko stated, placing her hand on the hit of her katana, and then adding softly, "We need to hold them off long enough for the others to arrive."

Remembering what Kurenai had said if they happened to encounter trouble, Hinata nodded slightly.

"Kill them Haku!" Zabuza commanded sternly.

Looking at his master, Haku nodded briefly, and then rushed forward towards the two girls in a spinning dance of death.

Throwing down a smoke bomb which hissed into life, Naruko brought her hands together in familiar symbol, "Kage bunshin no Jutsu!" A second copy of herself puffed into existence next to her, "Go! Warn the others!"

The clone nodded and jumped off of the bridge, landing stealthily on the water, before running at incredible speed towards Tazuna's house.

Bracing herself, Hinata hesitated only briefly enough to spare a glance at Naruko. It didn't matter to her how strong these two were anymore— she was fighting with her friend who was counting on her! Hinata took off towards Haku.

_What's this? Is the other one trying to escape, leaving her companion to die?_ Zabuza thought in surprise, this was certainly unexpected.

Placing her hand on the hilt of Masamune again, Naruko made another hand seal, "Sword Art: Visions of the Third Eye!" A symbol which looked just like an eye appeared on her forehead, as her katana shimmered briefly then vanished from sight.

With his shroud still spinning like a top towards the pale girl, Haku started firing senbon towards her in rapid succession.

However, her Byakugan penetrated his shroud and saw the thin needles coming. She twisted her body into difficult positions, nimbly dodging what would have been crippling injuries.

A gust of wind cleared the smoke from the bridge and the Naruko was gone.

Looking around carefully, Zabuza didn't see or sense the girl anywhere. _Did she really escape? _It had been impossible to see what happened in that black smoke of hers.

Coming within range, Hinata started making rapid Jūken strikes aimed at Haku's various vital organs. Her opponent was immediately surprised by the speed and precision of her attacks, barely managing to evade them.

Her blows rained in on him without pause, giving the other ninja no time to recover and hardly any room to retaliate. Taijutsu was not his specialty and if he wasn't slightly faster than she was, he would have already been hit numerous times. As it was he could hardly keep up with her and was being pushed back slowly.

While Hinata continued to attack him, her spherical vision caught sight of a puddle of water nearby and she remembered. Kicking at it, she splashed the liquid towards the boy's eyes.

Caught off guard by her unexpected move, he raised his arms to deflect the water, leaving his stomach exposed.

Seeing her opening, Hinata stepped in and with a circular motion that looked almost like dancing, she delivered two well placed Shōtei strikes on his abdomen. The hit was exceptionally powerful, causing a small shockwave at point of impact, and knocking him back a considerable distance.

Haku landed roughly on his back, coming to a skidding halt, hanging just on the edge of consciousness.

Zabuza was more than a little taken aback by the girl's skill. Staring carefully at her, he saw she possessed the Byakugan doujutsu. _So this is one of the ninjas from the Hyuga clan eh?_

Though extremely wary of the other man's presence, Hinata kept her focus on Haku, as she resumed her battle stance.

Glancing over at Haku, the man saw his weapon was getting up weakly. Reaching for his sword, Zabuza intended on ending the confrontation then, he couldn't allow his tool to be injured further— he still had uses for him.

Right then, Naruko appeared high in the air from the side of the bridge near the swordsman. Holding Masamune out, she commanded, "Sword Art: Whirl of Leaves!"

The same attack she'd used on the clones started circling around Zabuza, the rapidly moving air beginning to spin faster. Sensing her presence, he turned around and leaped quickly from the enclosure. _Damn brat was still here_, he thought angrily looking up at her with his hand on his sword hilt. Descending rapidly towards him, the girl was apparently unarmed. Suspicious, Zabuza reached into his vest with his free hand and threw several well aimed kunais at her seconds before she was in range.

Having no choice, Naruko deflected them all with her blade, causing several sparks and then raising her hands over her head. Instinctively the man pulled out his weapon before him, just fast enough to meet her blade with his own. Naruko made a vicious downward swing propelled by her strength and the force of gravity, "Haah!"

Hinata glanced up momentarily.

Their swords clashed with a loud piercing clink and huge spark. Having no momentum of his own or ground to stand on, Zabuza was knocked back rapidly through the air off to the left side of the bridge right over Hinata and Haku. As she descended towards the bridge, Naruko considered helping Hinata for a moment, but she had no idea what the other man was capable of and wanted to keep him away from her friend.

Zabuza was astonished by her strength, which was almost equal to his own, he realized from the blow. He had never encountered a genin with such physical prowess, _but what were those things on her arms?_ Looking over at the bridge, as he raced through the air, he realized with mild amusement that this was probably her intention in the first place. But they would be fighting on the water now, which was his home ground, though her invisible sword would be fairly troublesome.

Landing on the bridge, Naruko ran quickly between them and jumped off the side.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Haku started getting up, seeing the distracted Hinata, he brought his hands together and started forming seals.

Noticing that Haku was making seals, Hinata started dashing forwards. In an attempt to interrupt him, she reached into her pouch and tossed several shurikens at him.

"Ice Release: Shattering Spears!" The ground around him froze instantly and huge spikes of glimmering ice started shooting up from the advancing crystalline surface. The shurikens were stopped by one of the massive spears.

Hinata halted in her tracks upon seeing the spines shooting toward her, and started dodging nimbly to evade the deadly barrage.

She was able to avoid the assault as he had predicted and Haku made another series of hand seals, knowing exactly how far his previous technique would go. The icy spikes started coming faster and faster, much to the girl's surprise and she was unable to dodge the last one.

Being slashed on the left side of her stomach by one of the tips, Hinata yelped in pain.

Aiming behind his opponent, Haku performed another technique, "Secret Jutsu: Thousand Needles of Death!"

The barrage of ice spears ended, but Hinata barely noticed the tiny needles appearing all around above her, too distracted by her painful, bleeding wound. Just before the deadly needles reached her, Hinata yelled, "Kaiten!" A large of amount of chakra exploded forth from her tenketsu, and she started to spin her body incredibly fast, creating a whirling defensive sphere. The attack hit the globe from every direction, but was dissipated harmlessly. Stopping the technique, the Hinata clutched her side, wearing an expression of agony. The movement had aggravated her injury and she was bleeding even more.

Standing up, still very unsteady, Haku was impressed she had pushed him this far, but this was the end. He noticed she was wounded, and wouldn't' be able to use that defensive technique of hers any longer.

Eyeing him carefully, Hinata made a short painful hop to the side to give herself more room to move around. She wondered vaguely how Naruko was doing.

Though still a bit hazy from the pain of her blow earlier, Haku had recovered enough to move around again. Watching the girl, he felt a tinge of regret for what he was about to do, but this was for the sake of his master who had raised him. Bringing his hands up in a symbol, he activated his strongest technique, "Ice Release: Crystal Mirrors!"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Finally coming to a skidding halt on the surface of the water, Zabuza looked over to the girl in front of him. She landed lightly on the water, and stood up quickly to keep her hair from getting wet, while facing towards him. Staring at her, he was reminded vaguely of himself when he was younger. The girl had no wasted movements, no hesitation in her actions, was forward thinking, and very strong for her age. He was rather irritated however, at the turn of events and wanted to get this over quickly.

Naruko knew how dangerous this man was, just from that short exchange of theirs. And if nothing else, she would try to provide Hinata with a chance to escape, if her friend proved able to defeat that other ninja, should the others not arrive in time to help them.

Spinning his sword in his right hand Zabuza sheathed it quickly and started to make an extraordinarily fast number of hand seals, "Water Release: Dragon Serpent Jutsu!"

Naruko immediately rushed towards him, the fact he wasn't moving and the number of hand seals he used, meant this was a channeled technique. Four pillars of water sprouted from the ground and collided above him, collecting rapidly to form a long serpentine dragon, the creature abruptly launched itself at the girl. She jumped high into the air to avoid its attack, landing right on the water serpent's back, before taking off down its spine towards Zabuza.

_Oh? That was the first time I've ever seen anyone do that_, he thought impressed. But this was a good chance— releasing his seal the water dragon began collapsing.

Losing her footing, Naruko tensed, as she began falling towards the waiting Zabuza.

Using the reach of his much longer blade, the man made a quick and powerful slash at her falling figure.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Large icy mirrors materialized surrounding Hinata. She watched them appear around and above her, while trying to ignore the bleeding and intense pain in her side. Seeing the rectangular crystals fully formed the boy jumped forward and disappeared into them. Images of him appeared within all the mirrors.

Haku's earlier injury was still bothering him and was going to slow his movements, but the girl was trapped now, "It's unfortunate, but you will have to die, for Zabuza-sama's cause."

Hinata flinched upon hearing his words. They contained no anger or malice, and were merely a statement of fact, reminding her of how Naruko was in the past. Seeing the images in the mirror, they all appeared exactly the same. She had to do something. Placing her hands together Hinata performed three quick seals, "Bunshin no Jutsu!"

_Clever_, he thought, _is she trying to escape_? It would do her no good however, as his speed within the mirrors was increased many times over.

Fleeing quickly towards the gaps, the copies of Hinata took off in different directions.

Haku quickly launched himself out from one of the mirrors and targeted the nearest clone with a senbon. Upon being hit, the clone vanished in a puff of smoke. He quickly followed suit with the others, until finally hitting Hinata in the shoulder with one of his deadly needles. The girl cried out in pain from being struck and fell over on one knee. Haku quickly followed up with another attack and kicked her towards the center, before reappearing in all the mirrors again.

Struggling to get up, Hinata's breathing was becoming shallow from all the blood she has lost, her thoughts flickered on despair.

Within the mirrors, Haku pulled out several senbon. He would kill her quickly at least, that would be merciful. Though it pained him to have to do this, his loyalty for his master took precedence above all else. He would help him fulfill his dream, whatever the cost.

Hinata knew the situation was dire, she had barely seen him moving through the mirrors, when he attacked. His movement was like a blur, there was no way she could hit him at that speed, injured as she was. She might be able to use her Revolving Heaven technique one more time, but she would probably bleed to death afterwards. Inspecting the mirrors carefully she noticed that they were made out of a very condensed form of chakra, it would be very difficult, if not impossible to break them with her attacks.

Haku saw the girl's desperate look, but he needed to eliminate all of his master's enemies. Moving his hand up to his mask, he prepared to finish her with this final attack…

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Zabuza's blade cut right through Naruko's body, but in a puff of smoke it became a wet wooden log. Sensing her behind him, he continued his swing, twisting the blade slightly to dig into the water like a paddle.

A wave of water splashed forth and Naruko leaped back to avoid it. Hearing Hinata's cry of pain from the bridge, she became distracted knowing her friend was in trouble and realized that she had to do something soon.

Putting his sword on his back quickly, Zabuza created a water clone, without her noticing that disappeared right away into depths of the channel.

Naruko sheathed her own sword and said, "Release!"

Hearing her speak, Zabuza looked carefully at her, as he pulled out his weapon again.

Flinging her arms out, she thrust the weights away from her body, the ones on her legs slid into the water with only a minor splash.

Eyeing the objects from her arms, Zabuza watched them both hit the water and create tremendous geysers. _Weights!_ He realized.

Even though this was going to reduce her chakra rapidly to dangerous levels with her Third Eye Technique in place, she had no choice facing this powerful man. Placing her hands together rapidly into a seal, she cried out, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A single copy of herself puffed into life, next to her.

_A genin knows the shadow clone technique, what the hell? _Seeing the clone had an invisible sword as well, Zabuza snorted. The two girls dashed forward in a weaving pattern, leaving trails of water behind them from the incredible speed. He could tell right away they were faster than he was now. Deciding to go on the offensive, he rushed forward and met them head on with a wide horizontal slash.

Stopping just short of him, Naruko made a quick short hop to avoid his swing and landed gracefully on the sword, while her clone did a flip over the man. His surprise lasted less than a second, as the girl made a lightning fast slash towards his throat. Watching her hand movements, he managed to lean back in time to dodge the motion.

A bandage fluttered in the breeze left in the wake of her slash.

Immediately, he angled the blade and flicked her off of it, but was thrown slightly off of balance. Shifting his eyes to the left, he the saw the clone coming down with a vertical slash aimed at his neck. _Humph,_ _she must be desperate to try the same attack twice in a row like this. It might have worked on a lesser ninja, but…_ Reaching into his vest quickly, he threw a single kunai fiercely between the arch of her forearms aiming for the heart. His lethal toss connected as the edge was coming down, causing the clone to disappear in a puff.

Naruko landed only a small distance away and came at him again, before he could fully recover with a series of rapid slashes that were aimed at his arms. Sparks and a metallic clink flew each time their swords met. The man was blocking each blow with his blade, heavily through instinct and reflex, but also while carefully observing her hand movements. Putting more variety into her attacks, she started performing short thrusts as well aiming for the man's arteries. Making a feint at his left arm, she quickly switched hands and instead thrust at his right arm, it was a risky move.

Zabuza was quick to react, but his arm still got slashed by her blade. It was shallow, and he was able to estimate the blade's length fairly well from the strike. This also gave him an opening and he performed a vicious thrust kick into her abdomen. The girl reeled from the blow, being knocked back a dozen paces across the water, before landing weakly and out of breath on one knee.

_It had been a mistake to attempt to finish the fight quickly_, Naruko thought. This man wasn't someone she could deal with on her own to begin with, and she had lost her clone in that opening attack sequence. Her technique having taken its toll, was dispelled unconsciously, her katana reappeared and the eye symbol on her forehead, vanished. Not noticing the water clone coming up from underneath her in her daze, she was caught completely unaware.

"Water Prison Jutsu," the clone said, with just his head and arm visible.

Zabuza watched in satisfaction as his opponent was trapped by a sphere of water that surrounded her completely, and cut off her oxygen supply. Unfortunately there was no way he could kill her inside the steel like sphere. S_hort of letting her drown_, he thought with a sadistic smile, but the clone probably didn't have enough chakra left for that. Staring over at the bridge, he saw Haku had used his Crystal Mirrors ability. It seemed the other girl was quite talented to have pushed him into using that technique.

Naruko's senses had become muddled inside the watery sphere, due to her weakened state, and she could only vaguely make out what was going on. This technique had robbed her of her breath, but she could feel it weakening slowly. It didn't seem to make any difference however, as the reason for her opponent's pause had ended just as quickly as it had begun.

Shifting his gaze back to the girl, Zabuza sheathed his sword and started forming a series of hand seals. _This would be the end for the annoying kid_. She wouldn't be able to survive a direct hit from the attack, when his clone released her, "Water Release: Dragon Serpent Jutsu!" The water quickly gathered into the large scaled serpent above him and lunged at the girl.

Even in now with her chakra nearly spent, Naruko's face reflected her resolve as the creature came at her, but there was nothing she could do…


	31. Chapter 29

(A/N): I highly recommend listening to these songs while reading, when appropriate, as they really help set the mood. After the _third scene_ play "01 Mercy in Darkness", when Zabuza spins around play "1000 Ships of the Underworld", and right when this ends play "Two Steps From Hell – Decimator". Youtube these as always.

* * *

><p>Chapter 29 – Stygian Taint<p>

In the fishing house a good distance away both ninjas, along with Tsunami and her eight year old son Inari, were just finishing their lunches when the door suddenly burst open.

"Kurenai-sensei, Kiba-san! We're being attacked on the bridge! You must come and help immediately!" Naruko's clone spoke hurriedly.

Standing up quickly, Kurenai said, "Tsunami, take Inari and hide in that place Kiba showed you earlier. We'll be back as soon as we can, so please don't go anywhere until then!"

Kiba and Akamaru were already up and heading out the door.

Tsunami nodded wordlessly and grabbed Inari's hand.

When Kurenai reached the door herself she glanced back once more, speaking more quietly, "If we're not back before nightfall, it's probably best if you head into town and try to find somewhere else to hide."

The other woman only stared back gravely, understanding her meaning.

Kurenai joined Kiba promptly and they both took off in a flash, with Naruko's clone leading the way. Their blood was pumping madly, as the group made their way over. While minutes passed excruciatingly slowly, the groups' already extremely fast pace become even more hectic, as their sense of unease grew. The fact her daughter's clone had come at all, meant the two at the bridge were facing stronger or more numerous opponents. This was the worst case scenario.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

When Haku was about to turn his opponent into a pin cushion, the girl collapsed from the blood loss. She was still clutching her side, and the bleeding had slowed, but it was only a matter of time before her life ended. Watching her weakened body, Haku felt pity towards girl, _was his mission accomplished with this?_

Below the bridge, Zabuza's water dragon rushed towards and then hit the girl with immense force just as his clone released the prison. Her body was plunged under the water from the boulder like impact, and he noticed blood trailing up soon afterwards. _Well that's one down_, he thought with a cruel smile. Turning around, he stared over at the bridge and wondered if Haku had killed the other girl yet.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Suddenly, Naruko's clone stopped in her tracks and fell to her knees. Her eyes flew open, revealing the sky blue and white orbs within. They appeared to be staring at something far off, beyond the sight of normal vision.

Kurenai halted as well, despite her growing anxiety about the situation, staring at the clone she could tell something was definitely wrong.

Kiba continued on a bit with Akamaru before stopping and turning around and asking frantically, "What's wrong Kurenai-sensei!-? Why did you both stop?-?"

The clone began speaking in a calm mystical voice, "_That's not true… I've only gotten this far because of them. If not for their care and help I would have been crushed by the weight of my sadness and loneliness…_"

Running up to them with his dog along side, Kiba eyed the clone strangely, "Huh? What is she saying?"

"Be quiet!" Kurenai commanded sternly.

Her abrupt words made him shut up quickly.

"_It doesn't matter, I want to save her… everything will have been for naught if I fail here_," the clone's words continued. "_Things cannot end like this…_"

"Hinata…" Kurenai said in a hushed whisper. _Naruko, what's happening to you!-? Were they already too late?_

There was another break in the clone's words, as if it was considering something important, "_I believe in you_."

Despite the clone's last words, Kurenai felt a cold shiver run through her body. Her thoughts lingered back to the time Naruko was confined, but she shook her head immediately. _No! This is something much worse!_

The clone disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Immediately turning around, Kurenai took off at full speed towards the bridge.

Kiba stared at her wide eyed for a moment, before following with Akamaru. _What's going on dammit!-? What did all that shit mean? _He cursed in frustration.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Sinking into the depths of the channel, the life in Naruko's motionless body was slowly slipping away. Bubbles cascaded upwards around her, floating into the light above. Her mind was in a dreamlike state, bordering on the edge of consciousness. The stillness of everything was disquieting, creating an atmosphere of both peace and dread from the enclosing darkness of the water, while she descended deeper and deeper. Somewhere on the brink of her sanity a voice came to her, one all too familiar. Time appeared to stop in this moment as reality and her mind blended together.

"_You should have ignored that woman's orders and that girl on the bridge_," a ghostly feminine voice rebuked. "_It is a weakness to rely on others or try to protect them… look at the state you're in now. There are broken bones all over your body, many of your organs and skin have ruptured or torn, and you have almost no chakra remaining_."

There was a strange pause in the voice's speech.

The voice sighed deeply, as if in resignation, "_Perhaps, but I think you underestimate your strength of will… You leave me only one choice now, you will die otherwise. They're already too late to do anything and you know the price for using this power is high because of the curse_."

The voice paused again.

"_No… they can't_," the voice replied to an unspoken statement. "_But I won't be able to hold back as much of it this time. The taint is becoming stronger… She might even be killed in the process_."

Several moments passed before the ghostly voice spoke again, "_… I will try to repress it as much as I can._"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The cloudy sky darkened around the rapidly advancing Kurenai and Kiba, looking up they were bathed by an ominous sensation. As the two stared straight ahead again, a ghastly presence could be felt from somewhere near the bridge. Akamaru stopped in his tracks and crouched down with tail between his legs. Kiba halted his advance as well, staring as his faithful companion with concern; he was barely able to maintain his composure right now too. Kurenai however, ignored him and kept going at full speed towards the bridge, whatever was happening was too critical to hesitate.

"Do you know what it is boy…?" Kiba asked, an edge in his voice.

Akamaru only whined and whimpered, trying to make himself as small as possible, not replying to his master's question.

Kiba had never seen his dog like this but he understood all too well that something terrible was ahead, and that it was far beyond his capabilities as a ninja. His companion could sense a person's chakra and tell how powerful they were, but never had he reacted like this around anyone in the village before. Looking ahead again, a wave of wind washed over him and he felt chilled, like he had been suddenly plugged into some kind of nightmare. It was the most primal and deep seated fear one could experience. Watching Kurenai's receding figure, he couldn't help but be incredibly awed by her courage to keep going in such circumstances. He only hoped everyone was alright.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Spinning around quickly, Zabuza sensed something was amiss and stared carefully at the spot where his technique had finished the girl. There was a flash of red light from within the depths. _What was that?_

Suddenly, from the location of the spark, darkness flooded forth like stage curtains being opened, quickly dyeing the water in the channel all around him and near the bridge in stygian black. The sky above him roared and thundered as storm clouds appeared and faded into a foreboding shade of burnt ashes. Everything was enveloped in cold shadows, and ripples began to pulse outwards from where the red light came. A sphere was ascending from the depths, visible even through the unnatural raven colored liquid. The murky water started spinning above it violently, creating a powerful vortex that whooshed and surged with life.

Taking an involuntary leap backwards, Zabuza reached for his sword. _This darkness, where did it come from?_ _Is this an illusion?_ No, there was no one else around him.

The acrid stench of death and decay permeated through the air as the lifeless corpses of fish started appearing everywhere. The globe reached the surface and began emerging, causing a tremendous gusts of wind to skirt outwards in bursts and hit Zabuza with hurricane force. He braced himself but was being slowly pushed back despite his considerable efforts. Wave after wave hit him violently, causing tears in his clothing along with minor cuts that stung like he had been poisoned. The man could feel his body weakening, seemingly from just being near the ghastly globe. Just as abruptly as it began, everything became still, the winds dying out unnaturally and the vortex sloshed to a halt. A spray of water fell everywhere, like a thin mist from a light rain. The ebony sphere, completely above the water, glowed ominously with life. Veins of energy could be seen running throughout it.

In a bright pulse, it dispersed causing everything to blur momentarily and a powerful shockwave to be emitted outwards. Zabuza jumped up to avoid it, and stole a glance at the location it came from; his eyes opened in disbelief. It was the girl he thought he had killed, but she bore no injuries and had three animal tails fluttering behind her along with her hair. Landing back on the surface, he noticed a transparent veil of darkness surrounding the girl and her sword. It had a sensation akin to chakra, but this was much denser, intensely malevolent and unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Glancing down, he noticed his body was trembling now, _what the hell is this!-?_

The girl's eyes flared open, revealing faintly glowing emerald orbs as she shot a piercing glare at the man before her.

Zabuza's vision was engulfed with horrid images of his death—impaled, twisted and tortured while crying out in agony and torment. This body went cold, one thought filled his mind, 't_his is her intent to kill!'_

Her figure disappeared in the blink of an eye.

With his eyes shifting around frantically searching for her, he neither saw nor sensed her until she reappeared right in front of him.

"_**What's the matter worm? Can your eyes not keep up?**__"_ came hissing malicious voice, which sounded vaguely like the girl from before.

Making a vicious slash at her driven by fear, Zabuza struck only an afterimage. Wildly, he followed up with a blindingly fast series of slashes at her all around, but hit nothing but air each time. It was as if he was under some kind of genjutsu, though he knew this was nothing but raw speed and it unnerved him.

Glancing over at top of the bridge while effortlessly avoiding the man's attacks, she saw the Icy Mirrors. Flicking her eyes down, she noticed the massive circular support column almost directly underneath it. Side stepping one of his vertical slashes, her voice flared with anger, "_**Time for revenge!"**_ She stopped his swing with one hand on his right wrist and squeezed it, painfully breaking the bones within it, causing him to drop his sword into the water with a growl of agony.

Unsheathing her katana in an imperceptible motion, she sliced his arm off at the shoulder, before replacing it in its scabbard. The wound on his torso immediately started to decay, along with his arm. "_**Make yourself useful insect!**_" she said menacingly, her voice dripping with hate. The girl performed an incredibly powerful back kick to his chest, knocking him away. His body was propelled with such force it caused a loud boom like the beat of a colossal drum and created a bowl shaped cloud where he had been launched.

Flying through the air at incredible speed, it took less than a second for Zabuza to crash through the gigantic support of the bridge.

Letting out insane laughter, the girl exulted, "_**Hahahaha! Foolish cretin, believing he could kill me so easily**_." Absently, she tossed his dismembered arm into the water, saying in disgust, "_**Filthy thing**_."

Most of Zabuza's bones were broken or crushed from the impact, and several pieces were sticking out in places. It took few more seconds for the momentum to dissipate and him to plunge, like a rock being thrown sideways, into the water. As he sank into the depths, it was clear, there was no life left in his receding bloody figure.

Watching the edge of the bridge collapsing, she noticed a girl fall unconscious off of the unfinished end of it. Cracks formed along the section and a large chunk broken off in a loud snap, falling just above the girl. "_**Hum… that's her friend?**_" the girl smiled devilishly, considering allowing Hinata's unguarded body to smash into the water with the chunk right afterwards. It was nearly a hundred feet from the top. Looking down at her blood caked hand the girl noticed it was shaking uncontrollably.

Her green eyes were crazed and her expression was one of irritation. Abruptly, she latched onto her temples with both hands, struggling with some inner conflict. She let out a blood curdling scream that caused erratic sound waves. Struggling mightily with something, her body twisted around at odd angles, before she finally regained herself and disappeared. Catching Hinata roughly in her arms just in the nick of time, she moved away quickly in a blur.

The large chunk smashed into the water creating an enormous geyser.

Eyeing the area above, she saw the Crystal Mirrors disperse and sensed a presence. _So that's the one that hurt her? _Letting Hinata's legs dangle down, the girl held her with one arm, then began forming a series of hand seals, "_Bane's Cycle: Decadence!_" Extending her left hand out caused an acrid green cloud to surround her open palm with a hissing sound. A gigantic rotting skeletal hand shot rapidly towards the bridge, right at the person she felt. It crashed through the stone bridge and clutched the target, which was caught completely off guard by the unexpected move. Closing her hand made the skeletal grip tighten and crush the life from the person above with a sickening crunching sound. She felt a tinge of satisfaction at the sensation and smiled wickedly. With a flick of her wrist the technique was dispelled, she lifted Hinata up again without giving the person a second thought as she moved away in a flash.

Appearing on the bank opposite the bridge, the girl walked up onto the sands and dispersed her dark aura of chakra. Gazing down at the unconscious Hinata, the girl smirked slightly, "_Humph, how are such beautiful females drawn to someone who can't even see?_" While laying Hinata down gently onto the sand, she noticed the bleeding wound. _Will she even survive like this?_ The girl's body suddenly stiffened— a violent rush of wind and power came swirling towards her back, returning the tainted black sky and water slowly to normal. She fell to both knees then lurched forward, collapsing over Hinata onto the sand. _So this is my limit? _

Staring vaguely at the other girl's face, she recalled the last time she met that woman. _What do your eyes look like I wonder…?_ As her consciousness faded everything was finally cleared up, though in the dim sunlight, a sea of dead fish remained floating against the surface. Her mind receding, her faint last words could be heard, '_Grow stronger so you don't have to rely on this poisonous power again_', glancing weakly at one of the tails next to her, '_you won't get many more chances._'


	32. Chapter 30

Chapter 30 - Doubts

Arriving at the bridge in a panic Kurenai looked around quickly, there was no one in sight. _Were all the workers at lunch?_ She could no longer feel that ghastly presence anywhere but looking ahead she caught sight of a tiny figure on the far end of the bridge. Rushing forward she noticed it was Tazuna. He was completely motionless and staring down at something. As she got closer, she noticed it was a body wrapped in unfamiliar clothing and soaked in blood. _Was that one of the enemy?_ Landing next to the old foreman, she saw his gaze wasn't on the crumpled figure, but on the crumbling ruins of this section of the span. He had a devastated look on his face that equaled the unstable remains they were situated on.

Looking at the battered figured on the ground, it appeared to be a young teenage boy, thought it was difficult to tell through the broken pieces of an ANBU mask and blood soaking his outfit. The ground rumbled suddenly— she had to get him out of this area, it might collapse at any moment. "Tazuna-san, you need to move away from here, it's not safe," Kurenai warned.

The man shook his head in denial, "My bridge is won't break so easily…" He said listlessly, then paused and sighed deeply, before shifting his gaze towards the corpse nearby. "Where are your two Genin at? Are they alright?" he asked in concern.

"I don't know… I can't sense them anywhere," she replied tensely. Dashing up to the right side of the bridge, she hopped up onto the ledge and started scanning the area below carefully. Staring critically down at the water, Kurenai saw hundreds of floating objects on the surface. _Are those… fish?_ There faint stench coming from below that indicated that was the case, though it meant they were all dead. Shifting her gaze around, she finally noticed a small red and white color on the bank opposite the bridge at bottom of the steep cliff sides.

Looking back at Tazuna, "I've found them, but please head back towards the house. Kiba should be along the road somewhere or almost here, he will watch over you for now. I don't think there will be another attack anytime soon."

Shifting his gaze over to her, the old builder nodded. The situation right now was beyond questioning, those two young girls may well have died protecting him. The very least he could do right now, was obey this woman's orders regardless of the state of his bridge. There was little he could do anyway at the moment with all his men still on break, they would have to try and salvage this later.

Seeing the man's acknowledgement, Kurenai jumped off of the bridge and landed lightly on the foul water. The smell was very strong now and she wondered what could have caused all these fish to die like this. Running over towards the colors she had seen earlier, it soon became apparent it was indeed Naruko and she appeared to be unconscious while lying on top of Hinata. Reaching the two girls, she immediately noticed her daughter's three tails under the mass of red disheveled hair. _What could this mean_?

Carefully looking over the girls it appeared Naruko was uninjured, so Kurenai gently lifted her daughter up and laid her body next to Hinata. Right away, she saw blood staining the white haori but it didn't belong to her. Instead her gaze quickly hovered over to Hinata and noticed the wound on her side that was still bleeding slowly. It appeared the girl had already lost a significant amount of blood judging from the deathly paleness of her skin. She had to stop the bleeding somehow for now, so she began to rip away at her sleeve. Her thoughts lingered back to a similar time with Naruko, when suddenly she heard a weak voice speak to her and turned towards her daughter.

"Haha-ue… please use Hinata's medicine… it might be enough to close the wound…" Naruko said very softly.

"Medicine?" Kurenai replied in confusion, feeling at the same time, a surge of relief at hearing her voice.

"It should be in her pouch…" she replied.

Sifting through Hinata's ninja bag quickly, she found a small brown circular container, which looked similar to makeup powder case. Putting it aside, she took out a Kunai and cut through the girl's clothing around the wound and peeled off various strips colored in blood, then saw it was a large gash. Uncorking the medicine she noticed it was a strange ivory mixture and dipped her fingers into to it, before rubbing it against and around the wound. A hissing sound along with burning mist was emitted from where the medicine had been applied, and a groan escape Hinata's mouth.

She stared wide eyed as the cut slowly began to mend. Kurenai quickly gathered more and pasted the gel like substance all around the injury. It took a couple of minutes for it to completely heal and she used nearly all of the ointment in the process, but Hinata's bleeding was finally stopped. Afterwards, Kurenai made sure there were no other injuries, there were none, but she found the girl had a very weak pulse.

Hearing the hissing die down from the wound, Naruko appeared to relax somewhat. Gazing over slowly at her mother, Naruko tried to get up but was unable to do, so she settled back against the sandy bank. "She's still in danger haha-ue. Please take her to a doctor, I'll be alright here. You don't have to worry," she spoke as firmly as she could.

Looking over at her daughter, Kurenai was torn. It was clear Naruko was in no condition to move, and while she had no external injuries something was very off. Though what, she couldn't exactly say but she felt like it was somehow tied to the new tails. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but felt compelled to honor the request. Her daughter had gone this far on her only real friend's behalf; it would crush her if Hinata were to perish now. "I'll send Kiba to come and get you soon Naruko," Kurenai said comfortingly, as she reached over and placed a hand on top of hers.

Naruko nodded slightly and squeezed her mother's hand briefly. With that, the woman carefully picked up Hinata in her arms and spared a final glance at her daughter before taking off. Hearing her mother go, Naruko felt a sense of relief lying there on the sandy bank listening to the waves lapping nearby. A profound sense of weakness had nearly overcome her in that last moment when she touched Kurenai's hand, a feeling that she wanted nothing more than to be embraced and cared for by the one who had raised her for the better part of her life.

_Why did I have such a selfish thought like that?_ She cared so much for Hinata, and yet her mind had wandered over such a thing. Never had she thought about anything like that before now, but as with last time this happened, something within her had changed. She didn't know quite what it was, but felt a sense of familiarity with emotions that were never understood before. Turning her head towards the channel, Naruko remembered the many fish whose lives had been snuffed out by the release of her tainted chakra. She thought vaguely about the people in the village who relied on them as a source of food and income. _What consequences would this have for them? _

The bridge has been partially damaged as well. It would no doubt cost them more money to repair it, though perhaps at least she could help with that. Time however, was the bigger issue at hand. She couldn't help but feel a sense responsibility for her inadvertent actions… _so this is what guilt is like_. Learning these emotions kept coming at a high cost. Everything had so been so hard for her thus far and yet she had persevered, was it really because of her strength of will as that voice had said? She wanted to deny it, to not believe in it because she knew that this was something normal people didn't experience, but she couldn't for reasons she didn't understand. And it was hard to deny the facts, the voice had saved her again and this time Hinata as well. Even though she was still in danger, there was at least a chance now.

A cool breezed washed over her, but it brought little comfort, only the reminder of what she had done. Her body felt so drained from the effects of the curse, _what is happening to me_? As she lay there, Naruko lost track of how much time had passed but her strength had yet to return. The enhanced perception she possessed had even been unconsciously deactivated, it was something she rarely even thought about nowadays, but she could feel its absence keenly at this point. She felt a lot blinder now, and thought about how much she had come to rely on her chakra, compared to her initial dislike of it. Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly, as a rough splashing nearby caught her attention, there were two heading towards her. _Is that Kiba and Akamaru_?

Attempting to balance himself on the water, the boy was very agitated at his poor lack of control. His techniques didn't necessitate it, so he had never practiced it much at all. Eyeing his faithful companion, he saw that he was having little trouble and had his doggy smile on. Kiba would have complained, but his earlier actions in light of all that had happened, made him more subdued than usual. Though it still struck him how bad he was at walking on surfaces and how this was not any easier. He was trying his best however, to get to his teammate who was now only a short distance away. Deciding to jump the final distance, he manage to land right on the edge of the water.

Walking up to the girl lying on the sand with Akamaru, Kiba called out, "Naruko-chan?"

"I am awake, Kiba-san. It seems like you had trouble getting here, sounds like you're a bit wet," Naruko replied softly.

"Yeah…" he said roughly, letting out a dry laugh. _Is she—?_ He shook his head. No, she wouldn't do that, it's probably just an observation.

"Is something wrong?" she asked curiously.

"No, it's nothing… Are you really alright? I heard you can't move right now," he asked as he walked up next to her and kneeled at her side.

"I'll be fine. I just need some rest," Naruko said weakly. "I think you're going to have to carry me back though…"

Kiba scratched his head, "I don't mind, I figured as much anyway from what Kurenai-sensei told me. It might be pretty hard for me though, I am not very good at water walking yet."

Akamaru barked a few times at his master.

"Yea… yeah… you don't have to rub it in," he retorted gruffly.

"I don't think he meant anything by it Kiba-san," Naruko added warmly.

A confused expression fell across the boy's face, "You understood that?"

"No, I just picked up on it based on what you said."

"I see… Well, let's get you out of here then," he started to reach over for her but hesitated, remembering something his sister had told him.

Sensing his reluctance, Naruko asked, "What's the matter?"

It seemed kinda stupid right now, but since he had thought about it wasn't like he could just ignore it. Still, it was a bit embarrassing to ask, and make him very conscious of the girl in front of him, "Is it okay if I touch you?"

"You can't really carry me without doing so," she replied in an odd tone.

_Was she saying it was ok_? He was a bit thrown off by the way she responded, so he added, "Don't worry I won't do anything weird."

Akamaru barked a couple of times.

"He said he would make sure of that too," Kiba interpreted.

A pained expression fell across her face and she said nothing for several moments, "I am sorry Kiba-san, it's just something happened before in the past…"

Seeing the look on her face, even he knew not to pry further into whatever happened. It was quite clear it wasn't anything good.

"It's okay… really. You're only trying to help me, I understand that," Naruko said reassuringly.

"Alright, if you say so," he replied not unkindly. Reaching over again, he moved her arms onto her stomach then gently started to slide his arms under her body. He stopped suddenly however, when he noticed the extra tails.

"Do they bother you?" she asked cautiously.

He responded quickly, "No… but how did you get them?"

"It's a curse… I can't tell you anymore than that because I don't really know," Naruko replied somberly.

Akamaru barked a couple of times.

Kiba chimed in, "He's right it doesn't change anything." Scooping her up into his arms, he made sure her hair was completely gathered, before he lifted her up.

"Thanks Kiba-san and Akamaru," she said gratefully.

"It's no biggie…" he replied roughly. Seeing her face up this close and hearing her speak to him so warmly, made him realize once more how beautiful this girl was. Her body was quite toned from training, but still had a feminine softness to it. He tried to shake these thoughts from his mind. This wasn't really the time for it especially considering what he had said earlier.

"Am I too heavy?" Naruko probed.

"Nah, it's nothing," he said with a slight flush on his face. When he started to walk unsteadily onto the water, the girl in his arms spoke up again.

"Would you like to me to give you some advice on how to get better?"

He thought about it for a few moments, before replying grudgingly, "Go ahead, anything to keep up both from getting soaked."

* * *

><p>In a small medical clinic largely made out of wood, several patients lay in white beds spread through the recovery room against the walls. There was a fair amount of space between each bed and vital signs monitoring equipment next to each. It was evening and most of them were sleep, with the exception of a girl sitting next to one of the beds while watching over another young girl. A nurse came in at one point and stared at her strangely but said nothing as she checked over the medical logs on the end of each bed, then left quietly.<p>

Sitting there listening to the IV drip, Naruko couldn't help but feel her friend's condition was her fault. Were it not for the Hyuga family's secret medicine, Hinata would probably be dead right now from the wound she sustained on her side. As it was, they were equally lucky the small clinic they were in had the right blood type she needed too, in the greatly impoverished town. Her mother had intended to assign Kiba to watch over Hinata, but by her request, Naruko had insisted she be the one. Kurenai had said it was unlikely the enemy would attempt to hire more ninja's against them, but she had wanted her daughter to watch over the family while she looked out for Tazuna.

Kiba on the other hand, was content to remain guarding the family along with Akamaru, despite it all. None of them had talked about what had happened yet, but Naruko was certain her mother would be asking questions about everything when Hinata was released later today. Questions she wasn't sure about and those she didn't even want to answer. Placing her hand on top of Hinata's she sighed softly. Naruko hadn't spoke to her friend since the battle and was very concerned about her, even though she heard the doctor say her friend would be alright. She had paid little attention to her own weakened condition once she had recovered enough to move around.

It was a nagging sensation that felt like she was being eaten away and had lost a significant part of herself. The voice seemed to know what was going on, but it hadn't said anything about it… _perhaps because there was nothing that could be done?_ Shaking her head, Naruko didn't want to think about it. Too many things were already wrong with her, without trying to rely on such a thing that could label her as an unstable person. She had trained too hard to turn away from the path of being a ninja now, especially since she felt her absence would only put the people she cared about in more danger.

_That's right_… she didn't trust others to be able to do the same job as she was doing. Although Naruko knew she was far from perfect, other people had given her little cause for such a thing in the past. They probably had their reasons for what they did, as with most people, but she had her own as well now. Thinking back, she remembered Hiruzen-sensei's words about finding her own path as a ninja, but also thought about how he was giving his all as the Hokage, to watch over the people of the village. She wanted to carry on his philosophy but it was difficult, her life had been mostly lived around logic and reason.

And these indicated that most of those people didn't care about her in the least. Feeling her hand on top of Hinata's, Naruko couldn't help but realize how foolish such a thought was at this very moment. It was her duty to carry out missions for the sake of the village and protect its citizens— she would continue to do so regardless of how she was treated. Perhaps a day would come, where things would change between her and them, but for now she would continue to do her best to live up to that role.


	33. Chapter 31

(A/N): When you reach the second part, I recommend playing the song "Azure Disc02 07 Kara no Shoujo".

* * *

><p>Chapter 31 – Curse<p>

It was late in the evening by the time Naruko arrived at Tazuna's house with Hinata. Though she wasn't completely recovered yet, all she needed was some rest now. Her friend however, was still watching over her like a mother hen and it appeared Hinata was embarrassed about something, as her face was flushed. Kiba was sitting out front just to the left side of the door, with Akamaru resting next to the chair, while the two were making their way across the peer with light steps. The moon was shinning down on them illuminating both girls in a mystical glow that reflected off of the water. When the pair got close enough, Kiba finally spoke up.

"You sure took your time getting better Hinata-chan," he said teasingly. "Gunna be ready to get back to work tomorrow?"

Staring over at him with reddened cheeks, she replied softly, "The doctor said I should rest for a couple more days, before doing anything too stressful."

"Hmm…" he mumbled then glanced at the other girl with a grin. "I am sure Naruko-chan will keep tabs on you, to see that you do."

Naruko merely nodded in response, not noticing his playful tone.

Kiba roared with laughter.

Hinata only blushed further. Even she thought her friend was being a bit too serious about all this, Naruko had carried her all the way back here in front of everyone at the hospital and through town despite her protests, before finally conceding to allow her to walk the short distance to the house. She was very happy her friend cared for her so much, but it was still embarrassing after all, being treated like some kind of princess, a term which the hospital staff had used when they saw them leaving.

"Is Kurenai-sensei still awake Kiba-san?" Naruko asked, after the boy's laugher had mostly died down.

Clearing his throat, Kiba shook off his amusement before replying, "Should be, she was talking with the old man about something until he went to bed about an hour or so ago."

Walking up to and opening the door, Naruko held it open for Hinata, who made her way casually inside. The girl hesitated for a moment, before gazing over at Kiba.

"You want me to listen in too huh?" the boy said in a low voice. It was clear this was something he hadn't expected from her.

Akamaru barked at him a couple of times.

"Yeah I know," Kiba replied then stood up and walked inside too.

Following suit, Naruko closed the door silently behind her.

The four situated themselves in a circle in the living room, Kurenai sat across from her daughter, while Hinata was in between them across from Kiba.

"So do you two know the names of the ninja, who attacked you?" Kurenai started out, setting a casual tone.

"The older male referred to the younger one at 'Haku', he appeared to be the subordinate ninja even though he was wearing what seemed like an ANBU mask," Naruko replied.

"Haku said his master was called Zabuza. I am not sure, but I think that was the name of the other ninja. He was wearing a Kirigakure headband," Hinata added.

The woman was thoughtful for a moment. "Yes, it was an ANBU mask, though that probably belonged to Zabuza Momochi, as he was formally part of that organization. I am not familiar with Haku, but his master was an A-Rank missing-nin, in the Bingo Book, that also was part of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist," Kurenai said.

"I've never heard of that group," Kiba pitched in.

"It was a gathering of the best swordsman from their village that stemmed from a graduation exam which made the students fight and kill each other, in order to advance," Naruko explained.

The boy looked at her in surprise and coupled with disgust, "That's really harsh... our exam seems like nothing compared to that."

"I can't imagine having to do such a terrible thing to those who you grew up and learned with," Hinata added solemnly.

"It's not a practice they engage in anymore," Naruko said softly.

"Zabuza was actually that one that put a stop to it, when he killed all the graduating students of his generation," Kurenai spoke seriously, adding," I'll send a communiqué reporting his death tomorrow, along with that young man, Haku." Shifting her gaze to her daughter, she felt it was the right time to ask about what exactly had happened.

Naruko sensed her mother's state and remained silent, she didn't want to answer anymore than what was necessary.

The woman was silent for a few moments, before she asked, "Were you the one that killed him Naruko?"

"…Yes," she replied simply, with a bit of hesitation.

"And the boy?" Kurenai glanced at Hinata.

The girl shook her head, "I think I passed out because of my wound."

It took a few seconds for the words to sink in, but Kiba finally blurted out, "Are you saying Naruko killed both that A-Rank guy and the other ninja too!-? I thought you were the one that did that Kurenai-sensei!"

Looking at him seriously, she replied, "Everything had already ended by the time I arrived, despite my rush, Kiba-kun."

Staring at Naruko in disbelief, his mind kept repeating the words 'no way'. He knew there was a gap in their level of skill, but her being able to kill a member of ANBU? Those guys were supposedly even stronger than most Jounin and she, as a Genin like him, was able to defeat one? He stood up abruptly in irritation, like he was being swarmed by gnats then stormed out of the house.

Hinata watched him go with a worried expression. It was much easier for her to accept such things, since she knew how strong and capable her friend was. They had trained hard together for many years almost every single day. It was difficult at times not doing some of the normal things that other children their age did, but Hinata didn't regret it because she had genuinely enjoyed spending her time with Naruko. Plus it could be said, that the fact they were alive now was due to that training.

Kurenai could understand his feelings. It was hard for a normal ninja to believe her daughter had performed such a feat. Gazing back at Naruko, she asked cautiously, "Did you use that power?"

The girl didn't reply immediately, wearing a mixed expression, "I am sorry haha-ue, there was no other way."

"And the bridge?" Kurenai probed.

"That was my fault as well… I'll use the money I've earned so far to help them repair it," Naruko replied firmly, in a tone that indicated she wanted no objections.

"I can't let you do that alone Naruko, I'll help you pay for it as well," Kurenai said gently.

Hinata stared at her friend oddly, what did Kurenai-sensei mean by 'that power'? Judging by their hesitant exchange it appeared to be a touchy topic, so she kept quiet about it.

Kurenai still had things she wanted to ask, but decided it would be best to do that alone with her daughter, "Do you want to go for a walk Naruko?"

The girl nodded slightly and stood up.

"Hinata, can you watch over everyone with Kiba-kun? We shouldn't be too long," Kurenai spoke causally.

"I will Kurenai-sensei", Hinata replied gently. Seeing them both out, she watched the two cross the pier. Staring at her friend's extra tails through her mass of red hair, she realized that was the one thing they didn't talk about and wondered if that's what they would be discussing. Glancing over to the side, she noticed Kiba leaning against the house with Akamaru at his side, watching them leave as well. Walking over to him, she asked kindly in her small voice, "Are you alright Kiba-kun?"

Looking over at her, he sighed softly, "I am ok…" Pushing away from the wall, he walked over to the railing and stared out across the water. "You two have been together for a long time haven't you?" he questioned, trying to remember what Kurenai-sensei had said.

"Me and Naruko?" she asked, while moving over to stand next to him.

He nodded.

"We first met when we were six years old at the academy. Naruko wasn't enrolled yet at that time," Hinata replied lightly.

"Really? I thought people normally enrolled at age four?" Kiba said in a bit of confusion.

"Your right, but Naruko didn't have any family at the time and the Hokage wasn't sure she could be a ninja, because of her blindness," she explained.

"No family and blind? She lived on her own like that?" he asked in an odd tone.

"For a couple of years," Hinata replied sadly. "And even after Kurenai-sensei adopted Naruko, things were still very hard on her."

Turning towards Hinata finally, he asked, "What do you mean?"

Staring down at the water with a distant expression, "I am sure you've heard the rumors…"

"Yeah," he confirmed, waiting for her to continue.

The girl paused, as if trying to gather the courage to speak or collect her thoughts. "She was abused and tormented by most of the villagers because of that," Hinata said quietly, barely audible.

A dark expression fell across Kiba's face. He had never heard anything about this and his memory was too fuzzy to remember much of that time. "So you were with her through all that?" he asked after several moments.

"Not all of it… I only really saw her during our training together those first few years," Hinata spoke with a pained voice. "Kurenai-sensei was that one that told me about these things much later."

"I see… so she's had it really rough. Why would people treat her like that though? She's nothing like what I've heard. If anything, the opposite," he remarked.

"I don't know," the girl replied sullenly.

The two didn't speak anymore, as they stared off into the twilight.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Sitting close together on a distant shoreline well away from the house, Naruko and Kurenai were listening to the rhythmic lapping of the waves against the sandy banks. The cool night wind was washing over them gently, clearing their thoughts and cleansing their spirits. They hadn't spoken since they left and had been sitting in silence for a long time. Staring down at her daughter, Kurenai knew now what that strange feeling she felt from before was. Naruko's chakra was reduced now, it was still higher than her own, but this was a significant change compared to before the battle when she last saw her.

"Do you feel any different now Naruko?" she asked tenderly.

The girl took a moment to respond, saying lightly, "I feel weaker… like a part of me has been taken away."

"Your chakra is smaller now," Kurenai explained then stared behind her daughter. "I think it has something to do with your tails."

Gathering them about her defensively, Naruko brought her knees up and held them close to her chest, speaking doubtfully, "Is that really the case?" She had grown so accustomed to having her first tail, these new ones were also like a part of her body now and they weren't something she disliked.

The woman wasn't entire sure, that was true, but their appearance and her current condition was too coincidental, "I believe so, but it's possible I could be wrong…"

They became quiet again for a few minutes. The sounds of the owls hooting and insects chirping filled the space of their missing voices. It was nearly midnight, and the moon was high in the sky creating a dreamlike scene around them.

There was still one more thing on Kurenai's mind, which she found hard to ignore. That dark power of hers had been released again and this time caused harm to the environment itself, the scope of which was still unknown. She knew her daughter's physical changes were somehow tied to the kyuubi sealed within her, but this other was very mysterious. "… When you used that power… did that girl—", she was hesitant to continue.

This was the one thing Naruko didn't want to talk about, she knew her mother was only trying to figure out what was going on, but it was still difficult to discuss it. Answering softly, she spoke with great reluctance, "Yes… I wasn't in control… when it happened."

It was just as she had feared. Closing her eyes briefly, she went on hesitantly, "Did you… speak to her this time…?

Feeling extremely anxious, Naruko replied small pieces, "… I did… it almost felt like I was talking to myself… Her voice was just like mine…"

Carefully absorbing her words, the woman probed gently, "Has she ever… tried to take over? Like… during that time on the way over here…?"

"I-I… no… that wasn't her… it—", an intense feeling of confusion and loneliness overtook the girl. Tears began streaming down from Naruko's closed eyes and she clutched her mother fiercely, looking up at her brokenly and speaking hastily, "Is there something wrong with me haha-ue?-! Am I really normal?-?"

Embracing the girl comfortingly, Kurenai didn't answer immediately. A part of her wanted to tell her daughter exactly what she wanted to hear, even if it was a lie, but another part of her felt it would only make things worse. Of all people, she wanted to be the one that would always be honest with Naruko and never deceived her in any way. Speaking tenderly, her voice filled with emotion, "There is… but that doesn't mean I love you any less. You're a wonderful daughter… which a mother couldn't ask for any better… You're just a little different because of the hard life you've lived…" Her own tears flowed down unchecked and fell onto Naruko's head.

'Love' it was a word she still couldn't understand, but knew it held great meaning far beyond that of care or liking. The girl didn't say anything more, just buried her face in her mother's chest clutching her tightly as if she were a single lifeline in a raging storm. Her gentle sobs echoed strangely in the darkness of the evening.

Stroking Naruko's hair soothingly, the woman felt a tender warmth blanketing them. This was the first time her daughter had opened up to her so emotionally, and it was the first time she felt truly… _needed_. Recalling a memory from the past, Kurenai's last thought was, _have I finally found her?_


	34. Chapter 32

Chapter 32 – Differences

The following day, Kurenai went on alone to the bridge early with Tazuna, having come to the conclusion there would not likely be any further ninja attacks. Naruko was heavily opposed to this initially, but since Kiba had taken the night watch and Hinata was supposed to be resting, her mother felt it prudent to have her remain with the others and guard them for now. She conceded eventually, albeit reluctantly, after Kurenai promised she would be alright. Naruko watched her go with an uncomfortable expression, from the porch outside the house. The woman looked back once, and seeing her face she hesitated, but her daughter waved in response. Afterwards, while Kurenai was making her way over with the bridge builder, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something was going to happen.

When her mother finally got out of her perception range, Naruko walked across the pier to the nearest tree. She was still worried, but knew her mother was very capable and believed in her words as she always had. Walking up to the tree, she began performing her leaf cutting practice. The training consisted of jostling the trunk with a light kick, then as the leaves came down, she would cut them precisely in half, repeating this process at different spots when they ran out or only a few came at a time. The girl remained well within range of the boat house however, and continued this process for a while, before creating a clone to spar with. They went at it until lunchtime, when Hinata came out with a couple plates of fried fish and veggies. The two sat down in seiza under the tree closets to the house.

"Thank you for bringing this food out to me Hinata, though you could of just called to me from the house. I would have been able to hear you," Naruko said casually, as she started to eat with chop sticks in a well ordered and neat manner.

"Well… it would have been kinda weird to do that, I think…" Hinata replied awkwardly, beginning to eating her own food in a more relaxed way. "And I wanted to see how you were doing…" she added more quietly.

The other girl stopped eating and looked at her friend, "How I was doing?"

Gazing at Naruko, she replied in concern, "You seemed very different after you returned with Kurenai-sensei… so I thought something might have happened."

Naruko put down her chopsticks and stared at her friend intently, "I know I asked this before, but do you think my ears and tails are strange?"

Hinata could tell right away that she was serious, "Maybe a little… but I still really like them." The girl looked down and blushed lightly, "They make you look really cute and I don't really know why, but it seems—" she looked up at Naruko in emphasis, "normal on you, like it's the way it should be. That's the feeling I get after being around since you've gotten them."

What Hinata said was akin to the way she felt as well… Saying nothing in reply, Naruko simply stared at her, sensing strange but soothing warmth well up inside her. It was a similar to the feeling she experienced yesterday. Hinata and her mother were so accepting of her… _what made them so different from others?_ She was reminded again of why she had such a strong desire to be with and watch over them both.

Hearing only silence from her friend, Hinata spoke worriedly, "Did I say anything wrong?"

"No you didn't," Naruko replied immediately. Pausing, she thought about something for a moment then set her plate aside, before moving right next to Hinata.

The girl flushed at the very close proximity, putting her own plate down and saying uncertainly, "Naruko?"

Taking Hinata's hand in hers, Naruko smiled and spoke very gently, "I was just thinking that I am very grateful for everything you've done for me. And most importantly that… I really like you, Hinata."

Hinata stared at her wide eyed in astonishment, feeling goose bumps flit through her and her face become very hot. _Naruko just smiled and said she really likes me! The way she spoke, does she mean!-? _They were friends,_ but were girls ever supposed to be like this_? Her parents were always talking how she would marry a boy someday, but if Naruko… No, that can't be right! Confusion raced through her mind. Hinata, not knowing what else to do, pulled her hand away and picked her plate up clumsily then stood up in a flurry.

"Are you… alright?" Naruko asked worriedly, with a hurt look.

"Y-yes… I just… have to go do… something… inside," her friend muttered. And before Naruko could reply, Hinata walked away quickly in a fluster towards the house.

Naruko watched her go with her ears drooping and a very sad expression. ____Have I said something wrong?____

Across the pier at the same time, Kiba was walking out to them, yawning heavily. When Hinata was around halfway, he greeted her, "Yo Hinata-chan! What's the big hurry?"

The girl said nothing, and kept walking.

Rubbing his eyes, he noticed her face was very flushed, "Ah… gotta pee huh?"

Looking at Kiba in annoyance, Hinata pushed him roughly off of the pier and resumed her stride.

The boy fell into the water with a big splash. When he surfaced, his face was clearly bewildered, _what was that about?_ Swimming over to the shore, he dragged himself out of the water completely soaked and very awake. Seeing Naruko eating passively under a tree, he walked up to her awkwardly, trying to regain his composure while removing his jacket, "Hey Naruko-chan."

Staring up at him, she said in a subdued manner, "Hello Kiba-san… Did you suddenly feel like going for a swim?"

"What? No… Hinata-chan pushed me in," he responded in a wounded tone. "Any idea what's gotten into her?"

She shook her head in denial.

Taking his mesh shirt off, Kiba wrung it out then threw it over one of the lowest branches along with his jacket. "She bring that food out to you?" he asked curiously, while taking his ninja sandals off.

Pausing again, she replied, "Yes, we were eating together until she left." Not sensing his dog nearby, "Did you tell Akamaru to stay inside?"

"Yeah, he ate something weird yesterday and wasn't feeling too well, so I gave him some stomach medicine and told him to rest up," Kiba said a little down in the dumps, staring at the house.

Sensing his concern, Naruko spoke reassuringly, "I am sure he'll be okay soon, since it's just a stomach ache."

He sighed, "You're probably right." Glancing around, Kiba saw countless halves of leaves strewn everywhere, "What were you doing out here anyway?"

"I was training."

Bending down, he picked up one of the pieces and inspected it. "Did you cut all of these?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes, it's one of the exercises I perform. It helps improve my speed and accuracy," Naruko explained.

Looking around again, he gaped, "Wow, you must have been at it for a while."

"Humm… probably about an hour or so," she answered mildly. "Did you also come out here to practice?"

Gazing back over to her, "Yea, though I normally always train with Akamaru, so I wasn't too sure really this time."

"Do you want to train together then?" Naruko proposed casually.

Scratching his head, Kiba returned, "You mean like… sparring?"

"I was thinking more of performing various exercises, but we could do that," Naruko said, perking up a bit, she was curious how well he could fight.

The boy was silent for several moments. _This is a good opportunity to find out how strong she really is..._ he thought, but without Akamaru he wasn't too confident.

Sensing his hesitation, she added, "I won't use my sword, in case you're wondering."

"Kenjutsu is your specialty though right?"

She nodded, "But I can use Taijutsu too."

_Use huh?_ It seemed like a fair handicap, he supposed, "Alright, let's do it, but we need to wait for my clothes to dry first… Oh and uh… do you mind if I take off my pants too?"

Glancing at his other clothes on the branch, she reasoned, "It would dry faster that way."

"Err no… I mean, I'll only have my boxers on," he replied awkwardly.

"Don't worry, I am blind, remember?" Naruko stated in a matter of fact tone.

"Ah yeah… I guess you're right, but can't you still kind of make me out with that sensory ability of yours?" Kiba continued.

The girl paused a moment, "Well… yes, but when I am focusing on it a certain way, it doesn't matter if you're wearing clothes or are hiding behind things or not. I can still visualize details even through them, because sound waves pass through all objects."

He was confused for several moments, as he tried to figure out what she said, when it suddenly occurred to him. _Wait…what the heck?_ _Does that mean she can 'see' me naked if she wanted to?_ He felt like he just heard something he shouldn't have, "You serious?"

"Yes, though I only use that focus on certain occasions, like when checking others for hidden weapons," Naruko explained formally.

Sighing deeply in resignation, Kiba took off his pants and wrung them out before throwing them over the branch too, and plopping down nearby Naruko.

The girl finished eating a couple of minutes later and stood up, "I'll be back shortly."

Kiba waved his hand, and lay back on the soft grass. _It's so difficult to figure her out_, he thought with a groan. She has a lot of good qualities, but it really seems like she's a little off at times. Hinata was much more normal in comparison, but she was still weird in her own way, especially when it came to Naruko. Thinking back to what Hinata said last night, he wondered if that was part of the reason for Naruko's occasionally strange behavior or words. He didn't like having to use his brain so much when dealing with others, but he felt like he wouldn't be able to understand her otherwise.

It didn't take long for Naruko to return, as she had said. Taking her black sash and katana off, she laid it against the tree and sat down next to Kiba. The two waited together for an hour in the afternoon heat, making the occasional idle conversation, before Kiba's pants and shirt dried out. The boy put on his clothes quickly, minus his jacket, then put some distance between him and Naruko along the shoreline.

"Are you ready?" Naruko asked calmly.

Staring at her in a balanced stance with her palms diagonal to her forearms in a strong sideways guard, seemingly prepared to pounce on him, Kiba swallowed hard. This wasn't going to be easy. Readying his own fierce stance, he cried out, "Yeah! Let's do it!"

A few minutes later…

Out of breadth, and feeling like he had been hit with a landslide of rocks, Kiba stood unsteadily on both feet holding injured parts of his body. Staring at her through a hazy vision, he realized now just how big the gap between him and Naruko was. He hadn't been able to land a single solid blow on her. This girl was much stronger than his sister, and judging by the fact she wasn't even using her sword, probably wasn't too far off from his mother either. Unable to stand any longer, the boy began to collapse from pain and exhaustion.

Sensing this, Naruko quickly rushed over to catch him.

* * *

><p>Over at the bridge, Kurenai sat off to the side watching the men work. She was surprised to see they had opted to rebuild the broken section from scratch rather than try to salvage it. Tazuna had mentioned something about the possibility of structural instability in the future if they hadn't reworked it, but she paid it little mind. Looking around, she couldn't help but notice there were only handful of workers and the grim determined looks they had. <em>What had each of these men gone through to get to this point?<em> She wondered.

Suddenly, one of the workers coming from the land connection ran up to the foreman, "We've got serious trouble Tazuna-san! Gato and his men are here in force!" Tazuna turned towards the ninja woman with a dire expression.

Glancing over in the direction the worker had just come from, Kurenai could indeed see there was a very large group heading towards them, along with several other men fleeing for their lives. Standing up, she turned back towards Tazuna, then spoke in a commanding tone, "Make sure you stay here and keep everyone else who arrives behind me." The old man nodded gravely, and she took off towards them.

"Alright, you men heard her! Everyone just stay here and don't do anything foolish!" he called out sternly to all the workers that had gathered around him.

The one who had initially informed him of the trouble, spoke out fearfully, "But Tazuna-san, what's one woman going to be able to do against all of Gato's armed men?-!"

Staring over where she had gone, he replied darkly, "I don't know… but she's the team leader of the girl who destroyed part of our bridge."

A few men appeared to take comfort in this statement, but others weren't so sure.

Landing about a dozen paces away from the group, Kurenai scanned all of them rapidly as they came to a halt before her. There were at least three dozen of them. But as she expected, none of these men were ninjas. These were likely the same thugs Gato had been using as enforcers around the Wave Country, and among the ones who had killed Tsunami's husband.

Staring over at the man, she noticed he was wearing a cocky smile along with an expensive looking black suit. The shirt he wore under it was yellow with a purple necktie. Glancing at his hair, she saw it was a brown styled afro. _The man sure has bad taste_, she remarked. Looking around at his men in ramshackle clothing with crude looks, she noticed they were all armed, but was unperturbed by the sight.

* * *

><p>Back near the house under the shade of the trees, Naruko sat next to the unconscious Kiba with a guilty expression. The girl had a bowl of water next to her and was using a wet cloth to wipe dirt and small bits of blood off from around his face. He was badly bruised, but would probably be okay in a few days. She did regret however not holding back more, as she had used Hinata as a rough measure of how strong Kiba should be, it was clear this was a mistake. The boy groaned suddenly in pain and opened his eyes in a strained manner.<p>

"I am really sorry Kiba-san!" Naruko said apologetically, while making a seated bow.

Not saying anything right away, he glanced at the dirty piece of cloth in her hands, it seems like she had been taking care of him. His body hurt like hell, and he didn't think he would be able to move anytime soon. Trying to work up his old spirit, he started talking slowly, "Don't worry about it… this is a good lesson for me. You know back in the academy days, I slacked off during my training a lot, especially when it got too boring. My mother would always scold me for it, and I would often shrug it off, but I think now I understand a little. Why she tried to push me harder and teach me all those things."

Leaning back up Naruko turned towards him, but kept quiet, feeling he had something more to say.

He sighed. "You're crazy strong Naruko-chan, don't let anyone tell you otherwise," Kiba finished, slowly turning his head away and settling back onto the grass.

The boy was being so nice to her, even despite the fact she had hurt him so much. She couldn't help but be warmed by the gesture. Blushing faintly, she said softly, "Thank you Kiba-san... and… you can just call me Naruko, if you want."

Surprised, the boy glanced at her again and noticed her cute reaction. He smiled, "I'll do that and you should drop the honorifics too… I always thought it was pretty weird being referred to by '-san' from someone the same age."

Naruko gave a small nod, "I will then." Following this, she washed the cloth out in the bowl of water, before carefully lifting up and starting to wipe his arm gently.

Feeling a bit mischievous, at their changed relations, he said teasingly, "You know Naruko, I wouldn't mind getting beat up so much, if I could always get this sort of treatment from you."

She stared at him in bewilderment, "What do you mean by that?"

Kiba started to laugh, but immediately regretted it as pain shot through his body and he replied gruffly, "...Nothing."

Turning away from him abruptly, Naruko stared into the woods opposite the house.

Noticing her serious expression, he asked quietly, "What is it?"

"Two men with swords are heading this way."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Hah! What's this? Are you one of the pathetic 'ninja' who killed the others I sent?" Gato said mockingly, he had paid good money to Zabuza and his men, only to be met with two failures. Several of his thugs laughed at this, but many others wore lecherous smiles as they eyed the woman.

_Pathetic?_ She was being vastly underestimated it seems… or perhaps he didn't think much of ninjas to begin with?

"Hey boss! We shouldn't kill this one, let us have her instead," one of the seemingly higher ranked men said, as he stepped forward with a lewd smile.

Quite a few men roared in agreement at this request.

Glancing at the man briefly, he paused a moment consider it. This could certainly turn into leverage later, when it came to their payments, plus it wouldn't cost him anything since they would be the ones handling her. "Very well, you men can do whatever you want with her," he agreed, in a businesslike manner, then looked back at the woman.

Gazing around at them, Kurenai kept an outward calm, but inside she was swelling with anger at the forcible reminder of what happened to Naruko in the past. Taking a slow breath, she shot Gato a very intense glare, "You will not find things to be quite so easy I am afraid…"

Taking an involuntary step backwards, the man could immediately see the promise of death in her fiery red eyes.

Staring around at the rest of them, she continued severely, "In fact, all of you are going to die here." Bringing her hands together quickly, Kurenai performed an incredibly fast number of hand seals, which appeared as nothing more than a blur. She disappeared from sight within the span of a single second, in a wavy pattern like the strokes of a paint brush. Her voice could no longer be heard, but carried the words, 'Demonic Illusion: Projection Jutsu'.

Abruptly, as each of the men blinked in confusion, they all seemed to have turned into exact copies of the woman that just disappeared and their weapons were now kunais. They started trying to talk to each other in her voice in a panic, but before they could get anything accomplished. One of them screamed in agony as a Kunai was thrown into her eye, looking around wildly for one of them that was unarmed, they found a someone but she immediately started backing away in denial, "It wasn't me!"

Several of them attacked her in a rage, as another scream was heard among them. Another woman doubled over in agony and thrashed around while chocking on her own blood from having her throat sliced. The pace quickened and two more men cried out in pain, and more of them started attacking each other. Driven into a crazed frenzy, the entire group of women began attack each other violently— slashing, stabbing, and hitting wildly, trying to kill anyone around that wasn't them. The melee lasted several minutes and after it was over, only two remained. One who had ran away when the fighting started, and another who bore a deathly visage, she said, "Release!" The man turned back into his own form, it was Gato.

"Your greedy ambitions end here," Kurenai said harshly.

The man had a terrified expression as he cowered away from her, apparently so frightened, he could only squirm.

Without another word, Kurenai tossed a single shuriken at the man's throat. The throw was fast and deadly, ripping into his jugular veins and lodging itself in his neck. Gato couldn't even cry out as blood poured down his esophagus and stained his suit, he fell forward while futilely clutching at his wound. He died gurgling shortly afterwards.

Tazuna and his men, seeing that the fighting had died down, began approaching. Most had ghostly looks on their faces from the sight of all the corpses.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Grabbing her sash with the katana nearby, Naruko stood up quickly. Glancing down at Kiba, she said calmly, "I'll intercept them, they are after Tsunami."

Trying to get up painfully, Kiba cursed his weakened state when battle was finally upon him, he looked at up her, "Are you going to be alright by yourself?"

She nodded, "I don't think they're ninja. They are walking and making a lot of noise as well." Before leaving, Naruko grabbed his ninja pouch and placed it next to Kiba, then took off in a flash.

Watching her go, the boy felt a tinge of pity at the poor bastards who were about to face her, but sighed deeply again at his own helpless state. He really did want to go fight too, but he knew after he recovered that he would be training a lot more seriously from now on.

Gazing intensely at the two men below walking by, from a high branch on a tree, Naruko felt almost certain now that they weren't ninja. The way they carried themselves, made it seem like they had some training but it wasn't anything like theirs. She could detect the scent of blood from them, _had they killed animals or someone on the way?_ Given their intentions, it was highly unlike these two would surrender, especially to her and there was no guarantee they wouldn't come back later if she let them go now.

Reaching for her sword, she would try to end this quickly. Jumping off stealthily, her descent was taking her right behind them. When she was just upon them, Naruko performed two lightning fast horizontal slashes. She landed lightly on the ground, and the two men stopped in their tracks. They never even knew she was there. A thin red line appeared on each of their necks, and their heads fell to the ground with a thud. Their limp bodies followed more loudly as blood pumped out in large volume from their wounds.

Naruko flicked the red liquid off of her blade and sheathed it, before bowing solemnly to them. No matter how many times she did this, the girl felt she would never get used to it. Taking the life of another was always very painful and disheartening to her, but this was her duty and an inevitable part of the way of the ninja.

* * *

><p>Later that night, everyone talked about all that had happened. It seemed like with this, the conflicts with the mission and most of the problems for the country were over. To the ones had hadn't seen all of the people who had died to get to this point, it was a grand occasion and worthy of celebration. To those that had experienced or saw the aftermath of it all however, it was much different but they were at least glad to be free from the oppression. The government officials, who had worked for Gato and against the people, were summarily imprisoned for their crimes and involvement in the decay of their country over their own petty greed.<p>

Over the next month as the bridge neared completion, the people had rejuvenated significantly, but some dark rumors had sprung up about the channel the bridge was built over. Not one fishermen had supposedly been able to catch anything in the area anymore, and some remarked that they felt uneasy even going there. Though the bridge was far removed from the water, some of the workers shared the feelings of these people, but none of these knew how things came to be that way.

All the genin, under Kurenai's guidance, trained mostly during this time. She taught Kiba and Hinata a lot about genjutsu and particularly how to break free of them. Kiba also did a lot of endurance training, which Kurenai told him was probably his other weakest point next to what she was teaching. Naruko, still feeling bad about everything that had happened at the bridge, helped the workers with much of the heavy lifting, to build her strength further and attempt to regain some of her lost stamina. It was difficult and grueling work performing some of the jobs typically done by the crane, but the girl insisted on it and pushed through it all. When not assigned to the bridge, she practiced her swordsmanship constantly with varying numbers of clones.

Kiba with Akamaru at his side, sparred with Naruko on several more occasions, but the results were always the same. And she had often held back too, unlike when they first fought, much to his frustration on account of not wanting to hurt either him or his companion. It was a source of tension for him, but the two still steadily became a lot closer than previously. Hinata on the other hand, started having uneasy relations with her friend as she saw her and Kiba getting along better. Kurenai noticed this and tried to talk to her about it, but the girl avoided the topic each time. Naruko was often confused by Hinata's behavior as well, and started to feel like she had done something wrong, but was unsure as to what it could be.

Things went on like this for two more weeks, when the bridge was finally completed. The group having accomplished their mission started making their way back, after bidding everyone goodbye. It was a spirited parting for most, except the two girls, who still were lukewarm in their friendship since that day.


	35. Chapter 33

Chapter 33 – Chuunin Exams

It had been two days since Team 8 had returned from their mission in Wave Country. Kurenai explained privately to the Hokage everything that had happened, including her thoughts on Naruko's changes and her growing uncertainty about her condition. Hiruzen was distressed to learn of all this and after great consideration, decided it might be time to tell the girl about her status as the village's Jinchuuriki. Given all that had occurred to Naruko already, it wasn't something he wanted to tell her at all, even despite her changes. Since he knew, he would also have to explain about how her father and mother had died, plus the havoc the creature caused before it was sealed. Such news would likely be quite hard on her, but he hoped as with everything else, his student would be able to persevere as she always had.

Naruko would likely be his last student and in many ways was also one of his greatest successes. She overcame much including blindness, to become a splendid ninja, being among the best in her generation. And he noted with great pride that she was also humble regarding this, and always maintained an air of politeness and properness which many others lacked. This had been an old fashioned teaching of his which she had grown up on and always practiced regardless of who she was in contact with. Very few however, knew much about her true abilities due to this, as well as her unusual academy days. With the upcoming exams though, perhaps everyone would get to see what she was capable of.

* * *

><p>Approaching the place where they had first met with his dog, Kiba noticed that Naruko was sitting there on a bench alone. Usually Hinata would be there already as well with her, but this time she wasn't. The balcony she was on was the one that overlooked the city. It had a refreshing breeze blowing through that gently glided her long hair behind her. He couldn't see her face but her figure appeared lonely. He knew the reason why, it was quite obvious with things as they had been for nearly two months now. Walking over, Kiba sat down beside her and Akamaru circled around to the other side next to Naruko.<p>

Turning towards the boy first, she in a friendly tone, "Hello Kiba." Facing the white dog, she placed her hand on his head and petted him softly, "And you too Akamaru."

His companion seemed very pleased by the gesture as he leaned into her hand with closed eyes. Though his dog reacted similarly to his own touch, with Naruko it seemed slightly different somehow, Kiba thought. _Maybe it's because she is a girl?_ He couldn't help but remember a while back when she had treated him, after their first match. Speaking somewhat awkwardly due to being conscious of her, he asked, "So uh… what's going on between you and Hinata anyway? Did you two get in a fight or something?"

The girl was quiet for a moment before she replied facing him again, "I don't know… we haven't spoken very much since that day we ate together under the tree."

Naruko had a longing look on her face, which Kiba thought made her look particularly attractive and caused his heartbeat speed up. It was almost like she was asking to be comforted, "Did you umm… say or do something that day that was a bit more weird than usual?"

The girl smiled weakly, "More weird than usual?"

Her tone seemed almost like she was poking fun at him, but her cute smile made Kiba become even more excited. He recalled how he had been around the two girls initially, but things were very different this time.

She had thought about this for a while now, and nothing in particular stood out. In her mind, Naruko didn't feel her interaction with Hinata that time was anything different from normal. _Maybe he could see something I wasn't aware of? _The girl wondered if she should just show him.

Rubbing his head in thought, the boy was finding it even harder to think with her so close by. The two of them were apparently alone in the big park and it was like a couples meeting, but Kiba finally said, "Like, what was the last thing you said to her before she left?"

"I asked her if she was alright," Naruko replied immediately.

That was fast… he thought, but it wasn't what caused the problem. It was clear that whatever occurred before that was likely responsible, "And before that, what exactly happened?"

The girl was thoughtful for a moment, before she said a bit unsurely, "It's probably easiest if I just show you." Naruko grabbed his left hand tentatively, "After holding her hand like this, I said…" Naruko stared intently into his face with a soft penetrating gaze then spoke tenderly, "I really like you."

_Wow!_ Kiba thought in excitement. _No wonder Hinata has been acting all weird… _He probably wouldn't have been able to control himself just then, if he hadn't known that was directed at his other teammate. On the other hand, he couldn't help but feel jealous at the same time, _but was that really a confession?_ Trying to calm himself down, the boy looked around cautiously than and breathed a sigh of relief.

Gazing at him curiously, Naruko asked, "Is something wrong Kiba? Was what I said really strange then?"

Pulling his hand away reluctantly, he shifted his eyes away slightly and replied gruffly, "…Well not really, I mean… I don't think there is anything wrong with girls liking each other, but you do know there are different kinds of liking right?"

"There are?" she asked quizzically.

He wasn't really an expert on this subject or anything, but he figured he probably knew more than she did anyway, so he started, "For example, you can like someone as a friend, family, or …" Kiba looked at her pointedly before continuing, "…girlfriend… or boyfriend."

Naruko stared at the boy like she was seeing two of him.

Noticing her bewildered expression, he sighed, obviously that explanation failed. Wracking his brain, Kiba tried to think of another way to say it, when it suddenly occurred to him—_she might not even know what a girlfriend or boyfriend is._ "Naruko, do you know what a boyfriend and girlfriend are?"

The girl was silent a moment then said, "Isn't Hinata my girl friend and aren't you like a boy friend?"

"What—", he started to say, then groaned in realization. "Those are both one word."

"You mean girl friend and boy friend?" she asked puzzled.

"Yea."

"Do they mean different things?" Naruko continued.

The boy thought they were getting somewhere now, but was feeling a bit awkward at having to explain such a thing to her. No longer staring directly at her, he explained, "You know like… a girlfriend would be someone I'd want to kiss and do other stuff with…"

"Kiss… Hinata mentioned that word a while back when we were first getting to know each other, but she never told me what it meant," she said quietly, with a troubled expression.

Shifting his eyes towards Naruko's soft pink lips, Kiba swallowed, "That's when press your lips against someone else's that you really like…"

"Why would you do that?"

"To show them that you like them," he said automatically, his mind wandering.

Naruko stayed quiet in thought for a while then concluded, "Humm… so I should kiss Kurenai-sensei and Hinata."

No longer paying attention due to her extended silence and his own less than pure thoughts about what it would be like to kiss her, Kiba voiced what he was thinking absently, "You can use your tongue too."

_Tongue?_ Touching her own lips gingerly, Naruko had also somewhat lost track of the original point of the conversation in light of her curiosity about this 'kiss' thing. _Perhaps I should try it haha-ue sometime and see what she thinks, before doing it with Hinata? _It could be that she was supposed to perform that as well, after telling her friend she really liked her. This was probably some sort of procedure or ritual one was supposed to go through properly. She didn't think adding 'really' would be such a complicated matter.

Her gesture brought Kiba back abruptly, and he was momentarily confused as he tried to remember her words, "What did you just say Naruko?"

"I think I've determined what the problem was," the girl said confidently.

"You have…?" he asked doubtfully. After thinking about it a bit he shrugged, she is really smart about other stuff maybe Naruko really did figure it out, "Well that's good." This whole conversation had really made him feel a lot closer to the girl in front of him. She was already really pretty to begin with, and the way she had opened up recently made her even more attractive. There was Hinata too, but her somber attitude lately had had the opposite effect. Also from what he knew about her clan, they always had arranged marriages from within to keep their bloodline going strong. So trying to get closer to her in that way would be pointless.

Shifting topics, Naruko spoke calmly in her usual tone, "Hinata and Kurenai-sensei should be here soon."

Brought out of his reverie, Kiba asked, "We're going to talk about the Chuunin Exams right? That seems to be what's on everyone's mind right now."

The girl nodded in response, "Kurenai-sensei is at a meeting right now discussing that and said she would bring our passes for it afterwards."

"Passes?"

"Yes, in order to take the Exams, Genin have to be provided with them by their Jounin after formally being recommended in front of the Hokage and other team leaders. When we receive them we can elect to take it or not, but in order for the group to participate everyone must agree to come. The reason behind this, is for the initial parts of the test, where the teams show they can operate both independently of their Jounin leader and cooperate in order to accomplish certain goals," Naruko explained casually.

"Did Kurenai-sensei tell you that?" Kiba asked a bit surprised.

"It's something I read during my time at the academy. Hiruzen-sensei told me I should train both my mind and body in order to become a good ninja, so I've read a lot about our history, procedures and practices. I could tell you more about it if you'd like, but I think Kurenai-sensei will probably go over some of it," she replied.

The boy was flabbergasted, he had struggled with some of the written and literature stuff at the academy, but she had gone on to read even more than that… _just how much more did show know?_ _And Hiruzen, isn't that the Hokage's first name? _"Wait a minute… you just said 'Hiruzen-sensei', does that mean he's been teaching you personally?"

Naruko nodded slightly, "He's the one that taught me Kenjutsu among other things."

Whoa… so the Hokage is her master… _Is that why Naruko is so absurdly strong? _He shook his head, that wasn't the only reason. Even he could tell she had a lot of natural talent after sparring with her so many times during the last couple of months. And she was also very hard working as well, there were few times aside from when they were eating or sleeping that Naruko wasn't engaged in some sort of practice.

Poking Kiba's cheek with her finger gently, Naruko spoke reassuringly, "Don't worry. I am sure we'll be fine at the exams, Kurenai-sensei has taught us a lot these past couple of months and she'll be willing to help even more if you ask."

"Huh? Oh…" he said blankly, she obviously had misinterpreted his silence. "Yea, that's true," Kiba said quickly.

She was staring at him curiously, when her ears twitched slightly, Naruko sounded perked up as she said, "Hinata is heading this way."

* * *

><p>Inside a large meeting hall there were a little over a dozen ninja standing around in a cluster before the Hokage. The room was decorated with banner curtains and a large carpet that stretched from the front of the room, in which grand desk was located, all to way to the back. One of the younger male ninja's with a ponytail and a masked one were talking heatedly about something, while Kurenai watched on with a slightly annoyed expression. Hiruzen had already handed out the passes, so there was little else to do and she wanted to avoid a certain individual so she started making her way out quietly, but it was too late.<p>

"Heeeyy! Where are you going so soon Kurenai?" a cheerful feminine voice called out to her.

Sighing deeply and shutting her eyes in resignation, the woman turned around to answer the voice, "I was about to leave, I need to go give these passes to my team and explain where they need to go."

A purple haired and brown eyed woman stood before her with a big smile and fluffy ponytail. She was wearing a nearly full body ninja mesh that stretched to her thighs and a light brown skirt plus beige overcoat. There were also metal shin guards covering her legs along with the typical ninja sandals. "Aww come on, I just wanted to talk with you a bit!" the young woman complained.

"That's a lie and you know it Anko," Kurenai responded harshly. "Naruko doesn't want to talk to you, so don't bother asking."

"Oh, it won't hurt to let me see her every once in a while you know," Anko insisted.

It seemed like she wasn't going to let up easily this time, so Kurenai tried to divert the conversation, "You're going to see her at the exams, isn't that enough?"

"But that's not for another week! And I haven't seen her in AGES," she reasoned in an exaggerated manner.

Bringing a hand up to her head, the slightly older woman was starting to feel a headache coming on, then a light bulb suddenly lit up and she conceded carefully, "Alright fine… but only if you promise not to embarrass or single out Naruko in any way during the exams."

Anko cheered and started making her way out, "Great! Let's go see her right now then!"

Kurenai narrowed her eyes at the other woman, speaking seriously, "You do promise, right?"

The younger woman turned her head away slightly with a chagrin expression and spoke glumly, "That's not really necessary you know… I wouldn't do such a thing in the first place."

"Anko…" she said quietly.

"Let's just go see her and we'll talk about it later," she continued brightly, facing the other woman again.

"Anko…!" Kurenai said more firmly.

"Naruko-chan wouldn't mind!" the young woman retorted.

Placing her hands together, Kurenai started forming a rapid series of seals.

Anko panicked and cried out quickly, "Wait wait! Don't do that again! I promise, okay?" _To not do anything during my introduction… _she followed up mentally.

Kurenai paused, staring at her suspiciously for several moments, her head was really throbbing now and she just wanted this to end. Sighing again she pulled her hands apart and spoke gently, "Please, just don't do anything outrageous, alright? She's going to be getting enough attention as it is."

Her friend was right on that point, the younger woman thought. Anko supposed it wouldn't hurt to refrain somewhat during the exams, if she got to talk with Naruko beforehand, "I guess your right…" And it wasn't like she wanted the girl the dislike her either.

Seeing they had reached a tentative agreement, Kurenai started walking out again with Anko in tow. This was probably going to be a long day…


	36. Chapter 34

Chapter 34 – Standards

The three Genin sat in silence together on the bench within the large park. Kiba had tried to say something several times, but each time the words had died in his throat before he could speak them. The awkwardness between Naruko and Hinata was palpable and making the boy very uncomfortable, having almost completely forgotten the friendly mood he and the red haired girl had established. The two friends had exchanged greetings briefly and made some small talk afterwards but that was about it, Hinata even sat on the very edge of the bench with a fair gap between her and Naruko. Unable to stand it any longer, the boy stood up abruptly and started makeshift stretching.

Turning towards him, Naruko asked curiously, "Kiba?"

"I can't sit still anymore, was getting a cramp," he explained.

She was silent a moment, then replied casually, "I see..."

It seemed like she had seen through his lie… but, well it wasn't a big deal to begin with. Shifting his eyes towards Hinata, it appeared she wasn't even paying attention, but he had noticed her sneaking a glance at Naruko when she spoke to him. _I guess my earlier talk with her didn't accomplish anything after all? _ Kiba had no idea, girls were already hard enough for him to understand, and Naruko wasn't even like a typical one. Maybe it was related to whatever she said that he had missed earlier? Shrugging, he moved over to the small nearby tree to the left of them and leaned against it.

Akamaru walked over too and sat beside him, sensing his master's helplessness. The white dog barked a couple of times lightly at him as he looked up.

Naruko gazed over at him, and Kiba spoke up, "It's nothin'."

Turning towards Hinata, she stared intently at her friend. She felt a bit less restricted now that Kiba wasn't sitting directly next to her.

Fidgeting, the dark blue haired girl was trying to remain outwardly calm, but she could feel her friend's gaze on her keenly. Ever since that day, she couldn't stop thinking about what Naruko had said. Her brain kept telling her it was wrong to like or be liked by another girl in that way, but another part of her felt the opposite. And she still wasn't even sure if that was what her friend's intentions truly were, but couldn't possibly bring herself to ask such a thing.

Touching her own lips, Naruko appeared thoughtful about something as she continued to stare at her female friend. _Maybe I should do it now?_ She had no idea if there were any conditions or particular timing for pressing her lips against Hinata's, though she could only assume this was very late given the circumstances.

Kiba picked up on the gestured right away and his mind was drawn back to their earlier conversation. _Wait… is she planning on kissing Hinata?_ Swallowing, he started to become excited at the prospect even though he wasn't the one it was being directed at. Were these two girls about to kiss right in front of him?

Hinata kept shifting her eyes nervously towards Naruko, as she felt a strange vibe coming from her, like she was about to do something. _Why is she touching her lips like that…? _The girl couldn't think clearly enlight of the situation and her own mixed feelings.

Speaking gently, Naruko uttered a single word as she drew near, "Hinata…"

The other girl turned towards her friend, saying quietly, "Yes…?" Realizing just how close her face was, and the tender expression she bore, Hinata panicked, _is she trying to—?-!_

Before anything could happen however, Naruko stopped abruptly and moved away, her face quickly showing signs of discomfort as she gazed towards the left side of the balcony area they were on.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Hinata turned curiously to where her friend was facing.

Kiba also looked the same direction, though clearly in disappointment, _why did she react like that all of a sudden?_ It couldn't just be Kurenai-sensei. There were in fact two people heading their way, he noticed. As they got closer he recognized one of them as his team leader, but he didn't know the other person.

While the two were getting closer and closer, Naruko seemed like she wanted to escape, saying in a low voice, "Anko-san…" She turned towards Hinata with a face that was clearly seeking help.

Her friend however was unaware why the other girl was acting so strangely, "Who are you talking about?"

Hearing her friend's reply, Naruko remembered these that the two hadn't met yet. Her memory always became jumbled around that woman, it was among the few times she couldn't think or remember clearly. Seeing no help forthcoming, and the two women almost upon them, Naruko covered her ears with her hands and wrapped her tails around her midsection then made herself as small as possible.

Hinata blinked a few times in surprise, "Naruko…?"

Landing on the overlook, Kurenai saw that her daughter was already in defensive mode. She knew this would only make the other woman even more excited however, and felt terrible about putting Naruko in such a position.

Completely ignoring the other two Genin, Anko had a huge grin plastered on her face like she had just found her favorite toy, calling out happily, "Hey Naruko!" Quickly drawing closer, the woman spoke mischievously,"Hehe… I see you already trying to make things difficult for me! You know it won't work though!"

The red haired girl flinched slightly and appeared to become even more disconcerted in her awkward posture.

Plopping down next to Naruko, Anko made a grasping motion with her fingers while smiling then reached around the girl's body and began tickling her exposed sides.

Though she didn't laugh, Naruko's faced flushed and she began whimpering in protest.

Kurenai sighed deeply, and could only watch helplessly. It was either let Anko get her fill now or likely do something ridiculous during the exams… if she wasn't already planning on it.

_Who is this weird lady?_ Kiba thought, she seems awfully familiar with his teammate.

"Kuchi kuchi ku!" Anko said playfully as she continued her assault. "Come on! I know you wanna laugh!"

The girl wiggled around helplessly, until finally, unable to take it any longer, she lowered her arms covering her sides again and stopping the woman's hands.

Seeing her friend's discomfort, Hinata was becoming irritated at this person's overly friendly behavior, whom was someone she had never seen before.

"Yay!" the young woman cheered. Hugging Naruko fiercely to keep her arms pinned, Anko began rubbing her face against her victim's, giggling in the process, "I've missed you so much! Don't be such a stranger to me. You know I think only the best of you right?"

With a face completely flushed, Naruko gave a slight but sullen nod.

Watching the two with some discontent, Kiba wondered, _why are women allowed to do such things to each other so freely anyway?_

Smiling happily, Anko squeezed the girl tightly, then spoke mischievously as she glanced at Kurenai, "Hey watch this!"

She had been trying not to, as she already felt guilty enough about what was happening, but having her attention called, she turned towards the pair. Right away, she noticed how tense Hinata was sitting next to the two of them. The girl was clutching her pants tightly, seemingly attempting to keep her cool. It was the first time she had seen her like that.

Blowing lightly against the girl's fox like ears, Anko was delighted when they started twitching continuously in response as her breath hit them.

Naruko squirmed around like a trapped animal, doing her best to tolerate the awkward situation.

Watching the two of them, Kurenai groaned inwardly, as always she was treating her daughter more like a pet than another person or friend. The older women knew she wasn't doing it with such a thought in mind though. Realizing her friend was simply enamored with Naruko and compulsively, often relentlessly, teased her when she got the rare opportunity.

Gushing, Anko stopped blowing momentarily, "Isn't she adorable!-?"

Shifting her eyes over towards Hinata, Kurenai was surprised to notice she actually appeared angry now. Should she put a stop to this before anything happens?

"So can you move all three tails around at once too?" the young woman asked bursting with curiosity as she stared at them.

The red haired girl nodded weakly.

"Let me see it then!" Anko said excitedly.

Unwrapping them from her waist, Naruko complied reluctantly, knowing this was the best way to appease the persistent woman.

Wagging one of the tails listlessly behind her, she moved another to Anko's back and gently tapped her, while her last one lightly fanned the space between her and Hinata.

The woman with the ponytail was overjoyed at the display, "That's soo cute! Kurenai, can I pleaseeee have her for the day?"

Bringing a hand up to her face, the older woman shook her head. She didn't even want to think about what Anko was planning on doing with her daughter if she let her.

Unable to sit by idly any longer, Hinata reached over and pinched the purpled haired woman on the arm.

Wincing in pain, Anko turned towards the girl with a glare, "Hey what'd you do that for?"

"Can't see you see Naruko doesn't like what you're doing to her?" Hinata fumed.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Of course she likes it! She makes all kind of cute noises when I do this to her," Anko reasoned loudly.

"What kind of excuse is that? She's clearly troubled!" Hinata flared.

"Oh don't be such a spoil sport. If Naruko really didn't like it, she wouldn't react like this. She's practically begging to be played with!" the young woman stated excitedly.

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Hinata said in irritation.

"Look, she's still moving her tails around like I asked, being totally adorable!" Anko said brightly with a grin.

Hinata wavered at this, "T-that's… not the point!"

Anko saw right through the dark haired girl, "Hehe, don't hide it! I can tell you like her in a girly sort of way! You probably just want to switch places with me I bet!"

Cornered, Hinata looked away while blushing furiously, she couldn't say anything in return. _This woman is so hard to deal with!_ She almost regretted saying anything at all now, which wasn't something she would normally have done to begin with.

_Boy things sure have gotten out of hand_, Kiba thought. Looking over at Kurenai, he wondered why she wasn't doing anything to stop this woman.

"Are you sure you don't want to be my daughter instead Naruko? You know I would take good care of you!" Anko asked as happily as she petted the girl fondly.

It took a moment for the words to register in her brain, but when they did Naruko nodded quickly in response.

Pouting, the young woman followed up, "Aww, you don't have to reject me like that…"

"Anko," Kurenai called out firmly.

Turning towards the other woman, she noticed her stern gaze and sighed, "Well alright… I guess I've had enough… for now." It was clear however, she was extremely reluctant as she let go of the red haired girl.

Naruko was very relieved when released, though she was still a bit dazed from the encounter.

"Kiba, Hinata, this is Anko Mitarashi she is an old friend of mine…" Kurenai explained in a tired voice.

Standing up quickly, the purple haired woman said brightly, "And I'll be the main overseer for the second part of the Chuunin exam!"

Flashing her friend a look of irritation, Kurenai voiced strongly, "You're not supposed to tell anyone that yet!"

Turning towards the other woman, Anko said with amusement, "Like it matters, you have a pretty unfair advantage already! Having me on your side won't make a difference."

Glancing at Naruko, it was probably true, her daughter more than likely knew a great deal about the test.

"Actually, I am kinda curious, why isn't Naruko a Chuunin already? Me and that spandex wearing embarrassment to ninjas, recommended her for it a while ago. Did you say something to the Hokage?" Anko asked.

"You can become a Chuunin without taking the exam?" Kiba interrupted in surprise.

Hinata, having recovered somewhat, was also listening intently.

Looking at the boy, the younger woman replied, "Yup, if you are recognized to have enough ability to become one by at least two Jounin. The Hokage can also appoint you directly like he does with Jounin and ANBU, though you still have to choose whether you want to take on the responsibility or not."

"But what happens to the other two members if one of them gets promoted and the others don't?" Kiba persisted.

"We piece together teams from previous years who are in similar situations and they take it together. If there aren't enough, we have current Chuunin disguise themselves and pretend to be Genins to fill in the gaps," Anko replied, then shifted her attention back to the woman next to her.

Kurenai remained silent as she continued to look away.

"So you did say something…" her friend said slyly.

Hearing her tone of voice, the older woman spoke up quickly, "It's not the same."

Laughing, Anko continued teasingly, "And here I thought you were always so selfless."

"Just forget about that… don't you have something to do?" Kurenai said evasively.

Glancing at her watch casually, Anko frowned and clicked her tongue, "Humph… well I have to get going now, but I'll see you guys again at the exams." She followed up cheerfully, "And I'll drop by later to see you again Naruko!"

The red haired girl gave a small wave.

Smiling happily at her in return, the woman took off hurriedly.

Seeing she had everyone's attention with Anko gone, Kurenai began right on topic, "As everyone knows most Genin in the village will be taking the Chuunin exams soon. Participants are determined through recommendations from their Jounin team leaders after the group has accomplished at least eight missions." Taking out the passes, Kurenai walked over and gave each of her teammates one, "You'll need this to take it so make sure you don't lose it. I can't answer any direct questions regarding it because of the rules, but Naruko may be able to tell you some things if you're curious. It's exactly nine days from today, and you'll need to be in room 301 of the administration building by 1 PM, for the first part. It would probably be a good idea for you to get training in your specialties with your clan, but I can help too if you need it."

Hinata and Kiba nodded, but Naruko just stayed quiet.

Sparing her daughter a glance, she said, "You are all dismissed for now."

"Thanks Kurenai-sensei!" Kiba said enthusiastically, he was pretty psyched about the exam and was definitely going to take his team leader's suggestion. "Later!"

"Bye Kiba-kun," Hinata replied in her usual small voice.

Staring at the boy, Naruko said a bit out of sorts, "Take care…"

Kiba smiled weakly, it was quite an ordeal for her putting up with that lady. His dog, who had been mostly silent the whole time, barked a couple of times, the boy translated in an amused tone, "He said cheer up, Naruko. It's over now."

She nodded slightly, "Yes…"

Akamaru and his master both took off afterwards towards their clan hall.

Glancing at Kurenai, Hinata asked, "Is it alright if I come by tomorrow?"

The woman smiled, "You know you don't have to ask that Hinata, you're free to visit us anytime you like."

"Thank you Kurenai-sensei," she replied then stood up to face her teammates. "See you both later."

Naruko appeared to have cheered up at the idea of her friend visiting, "Goodbye Hinata."

"Take care of yourself," Kurenai added.

The girl's gaze lingered on her friend for just a moment before she too left.

* * *

><p>Later that night after they had finished eating dinner, Kurenai and Naruko sat together on the couch, both looking much drained following Anko's departure. The red haired girl in particular was very worn down, having been more or less the target of the whole visit.<p>

They sat in silence for a while, allowing the tension to die down as they rested. Naruko began playing with her hair eventually, when she was relaxed enough and spoke up first.

"Haha-ue is… Anko-san normal?" the girl asked tentatively, while glancing at her.

Kurenai replied almost immediately and quite firmly, "No she isn't." She had no doubts that her daughter would pick up some strange ideas from her friend, if she had said otherwise, "Even when she's not around you, Anko can be very eccentric at times."

"Why does she do those things to me?" Naruko asked softly.

The woman was quiet for a moment before she answered, "Well… part of the reason is just because she's Anko."

Somehow, her mother's words made sense to the girl.

"…The other part is because she is simply enamored with you," Kurenai finished.

There was a look of confusion on the girl's face, "What does that mean?"

"It's similar to how you really like something," the woman explained.

Naruko was thoughtful for a time then said, "So there is nothing wrong with really liking another female?"

Her mother knew exactly how her daughter associated the words so she didn't think much of it as she replied casually, "Not at all." She added warmly, "That's how you feel about Hinata and me isn't it?"

She gave a small nod, then moved next to Kurenai and embraced her gently.

Placing her arms around Naruko in return, the woman stroked her long silky hair comfortingly.

The girl stayed quiet for a while like this. It was among the few times she let her guard down completely and was able to loosen up. Although a lot of things were on her mind, Hinata was still chiefly among them, with the next being her curiosity about what Kiba mentioned earlier.

Sitting there holding Naruko, Kurenai wondered how things would go at the exams. If Anko kept her promise, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, but her daughter would still undoubtedly draw a lot of attention.

Staring up at her mother's face, the girl wondered if she should try that kiss thing on her. It had been her original intention to do so to see if she could perform it correctly, believing her mother could teach her the right way, but she had abandoned that idea when Hinata showed up still acting strangely towards her. She was going to do it with Hinata then, but Anko came along and she forgot all about it until now. Making up her mind, she reached up and placed a hand on the woman's face.

Kurenai turned towards her reflexively, "Naru—!" But before she could even finish saying her name however, she felt the girl's soft lips pressing against her own. It was an awkward gesture, made so by inexperience and caught her completely off guard. She was about to protest, when Naruko's tongue parted her lips and came into her mouth in a probing manner. The woman's eyes widened in surprise and she tried to pull away. But there was nowhere to go on the couch, and her daughter's hold was strong and insistent for some reason, she was unable to break away.

This was the first time she had ever been kissed in such a way. It was a bittersweet sensation as she felt Naruko's tongue touching her own curiously and she almost lost herself in the moment. A part of her kept screaming that this was wrong and immoral, but a little voice in the back of her head insisted she wasn't blood related to the girl and she should just indulge herself… it had been a long time after all since she had done anything like this.

Naruko felt some tension in her mother initially but she paid it little heed, as she was also a bit stiff because of her lack of familiarity with the gesture. It was the strangest thing she had ever experienced, but it wasn't something she disliked. And when her tongue touched Kurenai's, a part of her brain lit up and she felt some unfamiliar sensations start to spread throughout her body.

Her heart was beating fast now, and confusion raced through Kurenai's mind about everything that was going on. The woman didn't want to admit but her desire had been sparked, and she was starting to lose control as Naruko continued the kiss. The girl's apparent curiosity had her using her tongue to touch every part of her mouth she could reach, but always lingered near her own and kept caressing it gently.

Unable to hold the kiss any longer due to her lack of breath Naruko pulled away momentarily to take a gulp of air and was about to resume, when her mother spoke out.

"Wait! Stop Naruko!" Kurenai said breathlessly, her face completely flushed just like her daughter's.

The girl's mind started working again and she released her hold tentatively, curiously wiping away the fluids around her mouth then asking in a casual manner, "What is haha-ue?"

Relief flooding through her like a wave, Kurenai took several moments to compose herself before she spoke, "Why did you do that?"

"Because I really like you," Naruko gave a ready answer.

She had to forcefully remind herself that her daughter didn't know how that was normally interpreted yet. Speaking calmly, she asked, "Who told you, you were supposed to do that?"

"Kiba said that was how you showed someone you felt that way about them," Naruko explained.

_What the boy said wasn't wrong in any way_, she thought with a small sigh. Her daughter's purity had simply misinterpreted it and this was how things turned out, she reasoned logically. Trying to piece things to together, she followed up with, "But why did you kiss me and not… Hinata?" She almost didn't say the name, but wondered perhaps if this was the reason for their recent behavior.

Naruko glanced away briefly then said, "I thought you could teach me how to do it properly."

Teach…? She almost laughed at the idea, since she didn't have all that much experience on the matter herself and it wasn't really something that was taught normally to begin with. This was very much like Naruko though; her mind was always filled with rules and procedures on how to do things properly, that she would often stumble socially or say strange things at times. "You don't typically teach someone how to kiss Naruko," she said finally.

Her daughter had a bewildered expression her face, "How would you learn then?"

"Well… through experience," she said hesitantly.

"So can I kiss you some more haha-ue?" the girl asked nonchalantly.

"That's not—" she paused, Kurenai was at a loss as to how to continue. The woman kept trying to think of how best to explain this logically, but morality wasn't something that could be easily discussed to begin with, much less using reason. That voice kept bothering her too, saying 'this is a grey area'. "Kissing your mother on the lips and… using your tongue… is not something that is done by most families," she started carefully.

"Really? Why is that?" Naruko asked quizzically.

Their talk went on well into the night and by the end of it, Kurenai wasn't sure whether her daughter actually understood it all or not. The conversation had bordered on various shades of white, black and grey ranging from the complex to the mundane. She could hardly remember it all since it had tired her out tremendously, but one line was quite distinct to her for whatever reason and that was when her daughter asked, 'Are there other places that can be kissed?'


	37. Chapter 35

(A/N): When you see the line that _starts_ with "Naruko stayed silent", which is towards the very end, I recommend listening to the song, "21 dreams and imaginations peace of mind".

* * *

><p>Chapter 35 – Hidden Promise<p>

Sitting outside in the early morning on the small balcony of her apartment, Naruko was scanning a book with her hand and flipping through pages as she finished reading them. There was a circular cane table next to the suspended wooden bench she was on, which had a couple more books piled on top of each other. The girl was in the middle of the chair with her hair spilled over it and wearing a silky pink gown that was tied at the waist. It was decorated with floral patterns of green, white, and yellow all over and came down about halfway along her thighs, leaving part of her slender legs exposed.

The sun hadn't even come up yet and it was still fairly cool, but Naruko didn't seem bothered at all as she focused on going through the book. Other than when she was sleeping, this was about the only time her mind was truly free of thoughts and concerns. Ever since she gained the ability to do this after developing her sensory perception, it had become a habit of hers to read something each morning and at night. Although it had been almost an hour since Naruko awoke, her mother still wasn't up yet and she hadn't eaten breakfast, preferring to do so together than alone, as she had done in the past. Continuing to flip through the pages of the old book, she lost herself completely in its contents.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Shuffling around in bed, Kurenai glanced sleepily at the clock. She still felt a bit tired due to that talk last night, but knew her daughter was already up and would be getting hungry soon. Pulling the sheets off, she stretched languidly before getting up and heading towards the bedroom door. It was still a couple of hours before most people even woke up, so she didn't bother changing as she headed towards the bathroom which was located next to this room and across from the kitchen on the other side of the rectangular apartment.

Her outfit consisted of a red and black trimmed night slip that came down to just above her waist line and was connected together at her chest, leaving her belly button exposed from the inverted 'V' shape. Her panties were similarly colored and slightly transparent like her top. Leaving the bathroom, the woman was heading for the kitchen, when she heard a light knock on the door. Glancing at the clock on the wall of the kitchen, she was confused at who would be coming here this early. Kurenai considered going to put on a robe first, but since the door was nearby she decided to take a look through the peephole.

It was Hinata. She appeared nervous and was wearing her normal ninja outfit. Seeing nothing out of place, the woman unlocked the door and stuck her head out, "Is something wrong Hinata? You're awfully early."

Looking over at her sensei while fiddling with her hands, she spoke in an apologetic tone, "I am sorry… nothing is wrong. I just have a lot going on training wise today… so this is the only time I could get to come here before that."

_Her father must be pushing her pretty hard for the upcoming exam_, Kurenai thought. _Had he changed his mind about not making her the clan heir? _Considering how much she had improved due to her time with Naruko, she had no doubt this might turn out to be the case someday. And if so, it could complicate future matters for their team, if she wasn't simply removed entirely… "It's alright, you can come on it," the woman said gently.

After her sensei opened the door wide enough, the girl walked in stiffly, it was clear she was feeling very awkward about visiting at this hour. Glancing at Kurenai, the girl's face flushed slightly when she saw what the woman was wearing.

Letting out a stifled yawn, Kurenai asked casually, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

Sneaking glances at her sensei's outfit while looking off to the side, Hinata replied in her usual voice, "Not yet, but you don't' have to prepare me any extra food or anything. I'll be eating later…"

Noticing her eye moments, the woman smiled, "Do you like it?"

Being caught, Hinata replied in embarrassment, "It's really cute… nothing like what we wear at our clan."

"We could go shopping sometime and get you one," Kurenai spoke teasingly.

_Ehh!-? _The girl turned beet red, saying quickly, "Umm… I don't think it would suit me very well… and uhh… I couldn't wear it anyway… at my house, I mean."

Kurenai laughed lightly, "I was just kidding Hinata."

The girl's expression turned into a pout and she started looking around the living room absently. In truth, she did wonder what it would look like on her, these feminine clothes were something she was always curious about, but her parents would never allow her to wear them. They preferred practical and traditional garbs, like what Naruko usually had on.

_Hinata is so easy to read_, the woman thought with a smile. "Anyway, I was about to fix breakfast, so an extra portion wouldn't be any trouble at all," she followed up reassuringly.

Looking back at her, the girl thought about it a moment then conceded reluctantly, "Well… okay." Staring around the room again, she asked curiously, "Where is Naruko?"

"She's probably out on the balcony reading," the woman replied, while stretching again. Noticing the girl's hesitance, she chided warmly, "Go on… I am sure she'll be happy to see you."

The girl stood there a moment longer, before walking past the couches and coffee table in the center of the room, over towards the curtained glass sliding door, which was opposite the entrance. Pausing when she got near it and Hinata gazed between the large bookshelves situated to each side of it, they took up the entire back wall. There were hundreds of books on them, and many of the words written along the spines she didn't even recognize. This collection had grown even more since the last time she was here, a fact that never ceased to amaze her. She knew some of these belonged to Kurenai-sensei, but most of them had been bought by her for Naruko.

Shifting her eyes back towards the handle, Hinata thought back to everything that had happened. It had been a while since the two of them really talked… taking a deep breath, she composed herself and opened it casually.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Most of what Naruko read revolved around history, particularly that of the ancient past. A time which is surrounded by much controversy and skepticism, as few documents actually still existed that gave an accurate view of what happened. The only thing she could tell that current scholars agreed upon was that whatever had occurred, was tied to some great war.

Some people believed that a weapon had been created that was so powerful it threatened to destroy the entire world, and in an effort to stop those that had control of it an opposing faction created something of equal measure and their clash caused the collapse of civilization through untold destruction and mayhem.

Others thought that humans had reached a pinnacle in science and created people with special powers, similar to today's ninjas and this caused a rift to form between those with the gift and normal individuals, sparking a major conflict which wiped most people out. The remnants of their technology are used today by some, particularly in the ninja villages, where they are often sought out for collection, study and safekeeping. No one actually knows how most of these things are constructed and the village itself was built around the remnants of one of these ancient cities, which still had some facilities that were functioning.

In either case, it was said the survivors were so shocked by what had transpired they gave up all that had been created, to move onto a simpler way of life. These people were considered to be the first who established the small communities which eventually sprouted into the current countries. No one knows how long ago these events occurred, but estimates put them at the very least, well over a thousand years ago. Putting down the book momentarily, the girl gazed off the side of the balcony with a distant expression reminiscent of both curiosity and wonder.

She tried to imagine what the world like back then, filled with all these things they referred to as machines and electricity. The girl thought about everything that had been lost, all their history and advances in forms of science, their culture and religion forever gone and forgotten. All of this because of one word 'war', even the most recent past was plagued by it and brought harm to everything around it. It seemed to be never ending, even despite the efforts of their ancestors to stop it by starting over. The sliding of the balcony door interrupted Naruko's thoughts abruptly and she finally realized that her friend had arrived.

Turning towards the other girl, she spoke softly, "Hinata…"

Approaching the sitting Naruko with her eyes downcast, the dark haired girl glanced at her and said meekly, "Good morning."

Scooting over almost by habit and setting her book aside, she asked, "Do you want to sit down?"

Shifting her eyes towards the open spot, Hinata saw that one of her friend's tails was casually lined against the back.

"Is it in the way?"

The girl shook her head immediately and replied, "Its okay… and thank you." She knew her friend was much more comfortable like that, though the small bench was just big enough for the two of them to fit easily.

Sensing her friend sitting down beside her, Naruko smiled slightly, "We haven't been together like this in a while."

Hinata looked at her in response. Hearing the red haired girl's gentle voice speaking to her like everything was well between them, she felt a tinge of regret for the way she had been acting all this time. This was just how Naruko always was… never blaming her for anything, and accepting of all that she did. It was hard at times, being with her like this because of that fact, but it was also something she could take comfort in. Hinata still wasn't quite sure though, why she reacted the way that she did to Naruko's words that time.

Although she knew her friend was beautiful from the first time they met, staring at her now she recognized this keenly, along with a strange sense of comfort and desire to be near her. It was confusing feeling this way about another girl, but she still couldn't help herself. Yesterday, when that strange woman was being so close to her friend, she had lashed out at someone for the first time. That was something she didn't even know she was capable of doing. Pulling herself away from these thoughts, she tried to breathe more easily, and stared at her friend's outfit casually, "Did your mother buy that for you?"

Naruko nodded slightly, in her typical manner.

"It's very pretty," Hinata continued in her small voice, while scanning over the floral patterns.

"Haha-ue said something similar too, though I can't really tell," she said mildly, while gazing down and plucking at the edges of it along her thighs.

Trying to ignore the old scars on her friend's legs, she followed up gently, "I think it really suits you."

Naruko appeared to brighten at this comment, "Thanks Hinata… Are you going to be preparing a lot for the exams with your family?"

"That's part of the reason I came here so early," she replied without much thought.

The red haired girl picked up, "Part?"

Flushing slightly at having said something she didn't intend to, Hinata replied, "Umm… it's nothing." Glancing over at the pile of books on the cane table, she shifted topics, "What were you reading about this time?"

Picking up the top book, Naruko showed Hinata the cover and began giving a summary of it, then followed up with the other two. She went on for a while as the other girl simply listened intently.

Hinata didn't know much about the stuff her friend was talking about, but from the way she spoke, it was clear it was something she was very interested in. Though rather than try to understand it all, she just focused her attention on Naruko's voice, which was soft and gentle to her ears, making her a bit drowsy since she had woken up so much earlier than usual. It didn't take long for her head to start bobbing, causing the other girl to stop abruptly.

"I am sorry… this must be really boring to you," Naruko said apologetically, setting the books aside.

Feeling like she just had water dumped on her, Hinata replied quickly in embarrassment, "That's not true! It sounds really interesting. I am just a bit sleepy that's all…" Looking out absently over the balcony, a thought suddenly occurred to her, "Why do you read out here anyway? Isn't it really cold during the mornings?"

Glancing intently over the sides, her friend pointed in a particular direction, "Your house is over that way, so being out here makes me feel closer to you."

The girl blinked a few times, at a loss for words, a warm fuzzy feeling flowing through her. "Is that… the only reason?" Hinata asked quietly while looking away.

"Sometimes I like to get some fresh air, but that's the main reason…" Naruko replied softly.

Hinata tried to say something, but faltered a couple of times. Gazing meaningfully at her friend, she finally managed to ask what's been on her mind all this time, "Why… do you say such things to me? Like… that one time too."

"Because you're my friend," she replied gently.

"But friends don't…" the other girl hesitated, she wasn't entirely sure what she was about to say. Her mind was full of uncertainty and confusion. She kept finding herself being drawn closer to this girl in a way she never would of believed, but everything she had been taught and learned growing up told her this wasn't right. The thought that had been haunting her came out clearly again, 'girls are not supposed to be like this'.

Naruko stayed silent, as she went over everything in her mind carefully. The only thing that was clear to her was that she was still not doing something right. Although even after that long talk she had yesterday, she still wasn't sure what, it didn't make any sense. She felt so helpless. Speaking in a lost and disheartened voice, "…I am not very good at this am I…? All I've been doing lately is making you uncomfortable and saying a lot of wrong things…"

Hearing her friend's saddened tone, her heart was torn. It sounded like she was giving up, something Naruko had never done before. Unable to hold back anymore, Hinata hugged her firmly as tears began streaming down her eyes, "I am so sorry Naruko…! I just… don't know what to do! I know you're doing your best to be nice to me… and that you really care about me… but I… I…" Pulling back, she stared at the other girl through misty eyes with her feelings clearly reflected into them.

Reaching around Hinata's arms, Naruko wiped away her tears tenderly, "Don't cry…" Leaning in, she touched their noses together, saying needfully while brushing her face lightly against her friend's, "Just tell me what I should do…"

Hinata was awash with emotion, with her heartbeat speeding up, her concerns were slowly melting away. _Is there really anything wrong with this…?_ Naruko was always so sweet, always trying to help and watching out for her. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her face against the other girl's.

Their slow caresses eventually caused their lips to lightly touch one another and come together naturally. Naruko reached around Hinata's midsection and pulled her in closer, as she slid her tongue into her friend's mouth. Though surprised, Hinata leaned into the kiss and squeezed the other girl tenderly, as all her doubts vanished in this one moment. Naruko felt a strange soothing comfort like she was being swaddled in warm and her mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of this girl in next to her.

Feeling her friend's insistent pulling for further contact, Hinata smoothly shifted her position as they continued to embrace and kiss one another. Gliding her leg over the other girl's lap, she straddled her gracefully on the small suspended bench. Their bodies were melded together, as Naruko who was already sitting away from the back, wrapped her arms around Hinata and held her tightly. Their tongues touched and twined together in inexperienced but yearning motions, while their saliva flowed freely between their mouths in a sweet mixture.

With their figures heating up, Hinata felt a strange desire to touch more of Naruko's skin, and slipped her hands between the folds of the girl's nightgown collar and slid it from her shoulders, exposing slightly, her friend's small but well shaped breasts in the process. Naruko didn't seem to notice as she moved her hands over Hinata's back smoothly, lightly grasping and stroking her. Taking a moment to catch their breath, their lips parted with a stringy film of liquid connecting their mouths. Hinata stared at the other girl with hazy eyes, while Naruko returned her look with a foggy expression and her ears dropping.

There was a light knock on the window just then, and Kurenai called out firmly from within, "Breakfast is ready you two."

The words cut into their dizzying spell like a sharp knife. Hinata was the first to react. Looking wide eyed at her half-naked friend, she gasped and tried to move away quickly but stumbled and fell on her butt clumsily. The pain made her completely aware, causing her to realize just how hot her body and face was, along with a particularly heated spot between her legs.

Hearing her friend fall down, Naruko was also brought back to her senses, and she fixed her gown reflexively before asking as she offering a hand, "Are you alright Hinata?"

Taking her friend's hand, she replied shyly in her small voice, "Yes…" When she stood up though, the moisture at her pelvis became pronounced and she quickly grew flustered, remembering vividly what had just happened.

Naruko was wiping her mouth and touching her lips pointedly while starting at Hinata.

Already flushed red, the dark haired girl spoke hastily, "Umm, I have to go now! But please don't tell anyone about this! I'll see you later, bye!" Taking off in a huff, Hinata ran awkwardly while holding the front of her haori down.

Gazing in Hinata's direction with a relaxed expression, Naruko heard her mother and friend exchange a few quick words, before the front door was shut with some force. The girl felt strangely perked up. _Is this what they call a secret?_


	38. Chapter 36

Chapter 36 – The First Day

After meeting up at their usual location, the trio made their way to the administration building with about half an hour to spare before the appointed time. When they got down into the main street, which was lined mostly by businesses, the group was greeted with hostile glares and dark grimaces from the townsfolk. Though it was clear they were directed at Naruko, Kiba and Hinata couldn't help but feel equally uncomfortable at the scrutiny of their teammate. The attitude these people had towards her, was that of one towards a criminal who had been tried and convicted, but went unpunished and left free to walk among them. The normal activities of the people often ceased as they were passing by, only to speak in hushed whispers of Naruko. Although she appeared outwardly calm, a feeling of unease was gradually settling into the girl and causing her head to start aching.

The throbbing was incessant like the steady beating of a heart. Ever since their return from the last mission, she had started getting these headaches whenever she was around the villagers. The feeling was similar to when those ninjas had spoken of killing her mother, but this was less prominent. Although she had always felt a certain degree of discomfort when the whispers came to her, they had never affected her like this. And somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard other whispers as well… they were very faint initially and she couldn't make them out at all, but now on the day of the exams the words had become distinct. They belonged to the girl inside of her.

Naruko knew this for certain, as she could not mistake her own voice. But the words sounded wrong to her, they spoke of death and concepts unknown to her like loathing and vengeance. All of which were directed towards those whom she was supposed to protect. The voice was loud and harsh, even commanding at times, and it always felt like spiders were crawling around inside of her head when she heard it. The red haired girl was trying her best to hide this uncomfortable condition, but if things kept going the way they were she might be unable to cope with it without showing any signs. Naruko could tell Hinata was worried about her as usual, but she had no idea what how Kiba was reacting to all of this, since it was the first time he had been around her outside of their missions and meetings. She only hoped he wouldn't do anything rash.

When they neared the large bowl shaped structure, the attitude towards the group changed slightly, where many foreign ninjas were milling about or also heading inside. Most bore curious or amused expressions, though a few openly ridiculed her appearance. Naruko bore it all with a quiet stoicism as she always had and said nothing in return. The dark blue haired girl next to her appeared extremely nervous at all the eyes directed towards them. Although she had experienced such instances in the past with her friend while in school, this show of attention from foreign faces and the hostility from the villagers was something completely new to her. Hinata felt she needed to do something to comfort her friend, however she was scared, not only of what it would mean, but also at being at the center of such intense hatred and ridicule. She didn't even have time to think about what happened last week.

Kiba on the other hand, was becoming more upset by the minute. Though most people merely whispered their thoughts among each other, the boy did manage to catch some of what they said occasionally and was appalled. _How could these people say such horrible things about someone like Naruko?_ Though she had been very distant to him initially, the girl he had come to know was the most polite person he had ever met and among the most kind. He couldn't understand it, were rumors and gossip such powerful things? What reason did they even have for all of this?

After handing their passes in to one of the officials at the door, the group entered the grand hallway of the Administration building. Each side was mostly made up by offices, but there were a few displays tucked away in between them, which depicted some remnants of past technology. Banners also hung down from the ceiling that displayed various ninja codes of conduct and ethical guidelines. Up ahead was a large staircase that was paralleled by two smaller hallways which went to different areas of the complex. A sign pointing up the stairs, indicated where examinees needed to go, though several groups were still standing around chatting. When they were nearing the stairs, Kiba was unable to restrain himself any longer and lashed out at another local team.

"What the hell is your problem huh?-! Saying shit like that about someone you don't even know!" the boy spoke heatedly.

The other boy, apparently the leader of the group was standing out front and dressed in a pale two-piece shaggy ninja outfit. He shouted back with equal fervor, "We can say whatever we want about that freak! The useless blind bitch shouldn't even be here! She's a stain on the Konohagakure name!-!"

Hinata flinched at the insults, like she had been struck in the face. It hurt her immensely to hear people say such things about the gentle girl she had known for so long. Clasping her hands together, she tried to hold back her feelings in light of the situation. It wouldn't do any good to start trouble here, and she knew her friend wouldn't wish for it either.

A sharp pain shot through long haired girl's head, and the voice within spoke to her harshly, '**Kill them! Put these insects in their place then watch how the rest of them cower from you in fear! The fools will never stop unless given reason to!**' She tried to suppress the voice as much as possible, but she knew it was right. The only time the whispers ever ceased was when she was at home or away on a mission. Glancing over at the other boy's group, a shadow fell across her face. Nothing had changed from the past… how much longer would things like this go on?

"Why you piece of—!" Kiba growled, but just as he was about to take a step forward, he felt a familiar hand on his arm holding him back and he turned towards her in frustration.

"It's alright Kiba… please don't worry about me," Naruko said softly.

Her calm demeanor caused him to waver a little, but he persisted, "No it's not alright dammit! How can you take all this crap from everyone without saying a word?-!"

All the other groups in the hall were listening in now and watching the exchange with interest. It was clear they were expecting something to happen, for many of them bore eager excited expressions.

"Hah, it seems like she knows her place!" the other boy jeered.

Kiba's jaw clenched tightly, but held back as he waited for her answer.

Holding his arm up, she placed her other hand on top of his and stared at him directly, before replying quietly just loud enough for him alone to hear, "It's what I've been doing my whole life."

Her heavy reply penetrated through the hazy fog of his anger like a cold wind. The boy faltered and looked down, unable to stare at her. Hinata's words from that day outside the fishing house came back to him keenly, 'abused and tormented by most of the villagers', only now did he realize the gravity they held. As he was regaining his composure, Kiba noticed her sleeves had fallen back slightly and he saw the beginnings of some strange marks. Without thinking, he twisted his arm and held hers in return, pulling back her white sleeve. Scars and what appeared to be burn marks, lined Naruko's arm. Feeling his anger swell again, he turned towards Hinata, the girl had a helpless and pained expression on her face. It was clear she knew about these. _What the hell is this? Why would anyone have done this to her?_

Seeing how close the two of them were being, the other boy's face wrinkled in disgust, "I bet you even like that filthy animal, being a part of that stupid dog loving Clan of yours!"

Akamaru, who was standing defensively next to his master, started growling menacingly at brown haired boy, and Kiba felt emotion boil within him unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Not only had he exposed his feelings for Naruko, but mocked them and his clan at the same time. Releasing the girl's arm, Kiba turned around quickly and went into a low stance in the same motion and lunged at the other kid in a blind rage, roaring wildly in his attack.

The group's leader barely had time to brace himself, in both surprise and fear of the tattooed boy's sudden and crazed attack. However, just before Kiba reached him, he was struck soundly from behind and fell forward limply. Naruko caught him quickly, regret clearly written on her features.

"I am sorry Kiba," she apologized to his unconscious form.

The white dog turned towards her and started whining in a low tone.

"He's just unconscious Akamaru," Naruko replied gently. Turning towards the now frightened boy and his teammates, she spoke in an emotionless voice which came easily to her, "The Exam rules do not allow for unsanctioned fighting, otherwise I would not have stopped him. You should keep in mind that inciting battles is also against the regulations and will get your team disqualified."

The cold manner in which Naruko spoke caused Hinata to shift uncomfortably. It had been quite some time since she last heard her speak like that. The red haired girl glanced at her friend, who now had a vague uncertain expression. She strode up quickly next to her, to support Kiba on their shoulders between the two of them. Most of the onlookers that had been watching were clearly disappointed at the turn of events, the fight had been averted and the chance for further conflict reduced. Several people were clearly surprised by Naruko's actions too, as they indicated not only adherence to the ninja codes, but also a desire to participate in the exam. The speed of her intervention was especially of note, since none of the Genins except Hinata actually saw her move until she appeared next to the boy. The other groups gave Team 8 a wide berth as they passed by carrying Kiba, while heading upstairs.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Will he be waking up soon?" Hinata asked quietly, while staring down at their teammate who was sitting against a wall with Akamaru next to him.

"The length of time various between individuals, but it shouldn't be much longer…" Naruko confirmed in a sullen voice.

The three of them were situated just outside the room where all the other Genin were waiting. They still had about fifteen minutes before the start of the exams. It seemed like most, if not all, of the others had already made their way inside and they were alone in the hallway. Noticing the long haired girl's downtrodden expression, Hinata looked around warily before drawing closer to and grabbing her left hand then squeezing it gently. Naruko's faced relaxed and she turned towards the other girl, closing her own fingers lightly over her hand.

"I am sorry," the dark blue haired girl said distraughtly. "I was so scared back there… with all those people, but Kiba he…"

Her friend shook her head in response, before speaking lightly, "I know you wanted to help me and that is enough."

This was one of the few times Hinata wasn't comforted by her words, because she knew inside of her that it wasn't enough. She should have been the one to speak out against that team, like she had done against that purple haired instructor. And what if what the other boy said was true? Did Kiba really like Naruko? She had a hard time thinking otherwise, considering how he reacted when that was spoken of. Looking back over at the boy, she saw Akamaru was licking his face now and causing him to stir. Reluctantly, she tried to release Naruko's hand, but she was held fast.

Gazing curiously over at the other girl, Hinata saw that her attention was drawn elsewhere. She was staring out one of the windows which overlooked the village, with a distant look on her face. _What is she thinking about?_

A groan escaped Kiba's lips as he reached up and petted his dog while slowly opening his eyes, "Hey boy…"

Turning back towards her friend, Naruko gave her a short but meaningful glance before releasing her hand finally. Walking over, she knelt down to the right of the boy.

Staring at her hand which still contained some warmth, Hinata was lost in thought for a few moments before shifting her eyes towards her the other two.

"About earlier…" Naruko started uneasily.

Now fully awake, Kiba's gaze shifted towards his teammate, she wore the same face from that day when she was nursing him. It was obvious she was the one that had knocked him unconscious. He sighed, "I suppose that was a bit rash of me… but I think you hit the wrong person."

With her ears already drooping, Naruko's body seemed to become even more dejected at the boy's words.

"Kiba-kun, you shouldn't—" Hinata started to protest weakly.

"I was just messin' around…" he interjected mildly, then glanced at the double doors to his left. They had a plaque denoting it was room 301 above them. "We still got time?"

"It hasn't started yet," the dark blue haired girl answered with a touch of irritation.

Turning towards Naruko again, he placed his right hand on her shoulder briefly, then spoke in a friendly tone, "Come on let's get going..."

She stared directly at him and nodded slightly, her face clearly relieved he didn't appear to be angry at her. Standing up, she stuck a hand out to him. Kiba grabbed it, and she helped him to his feet.

Hinata never felt particularly close to the boy, and watching their short exchange she couldn't help but feel troubled. Though Naruko was unable to see it herself, Kiba's eyes spoke volumes each time he looked at her friend.

With that, the group made their way inside the room. There were well over a hundred Genin packed into the auditorium sized rectangular chamber, which was lined with tables and chairs. The majority of them had bored expressions on their faces, but a few wore grim visages that served both to show their determination as well as intimidate some of the others around them. Most paid little heed to Team Kurenai as they entered, but a couple of groups seemed to take in their presence, among them being Team Guy and Team Asuma. The latter of which merely watched them from afar, while the two male members from the other approached them casually. Their blond female member was arguing heatedly with a pink haired girl from Team Kakashi.

"Hey Kiba, finally wake up from your nap?" asked a plump male with brown hair. He was wearing a green vest, a yellow shirt with a circular red symbol in the center, dark grey shorts, a white scarf, and bandages on his arms and legs, along with the typical blue ninja sandals.

"You could say that," the boy replied with a smirk, his mood lightening at the sight of his old friends.

"Like I said Chouji, he wasn't taking nap man, he was unconscious. It wouldn't make any sense for him to sleep in a place like that," a slim boy with sleek black hair tied into a ponytail followed up next to him. His outfit consisted of a small grey vest with olive lining and his clan symbol on the back over a ninja mesh shirt and dark grey pants.

Staring at the top of the plump boy's head, Kiba spoke slyly with a grin, "I see you're still wearing the Konoha girl's underwear on your head Chouji. You really should have a talk with him about that Shikamaru."

The overweight boy's face flushed in embarrassment as he looked at Hinata and Naruko, then protested in a fierce but low voice, "Would quit saying that!"

The boy with a ponytail sighed deeply— he knew this was going to come up again. "It would be better if you just stopped bringing it up," he replied evenly in irritation.

Hinata glanced at Chouji's head. It was his forehead protector… but the way he wore it certainly appeared just as Kiba said.

"Why would you wear girl's underwear on your head?" Naruko asked quizzically. "Is that some kind of new fashion?"

Kiba laughed, feeling some of the earlier tension disappear.

"Umm Naruko, that's not…" Hinata spoke up quickly next to her, and then began whispering into her ear.

Chouji was so flustered now he had become absorbed in eating his potato chips furiously without looking at anyone.

Shikamaru turned towards the girl with the red hair, the look on her face clearly showed genuine curiosity, which surprised him given what she said. Looking her over, she seemed out of place somehow among all these other Genin. Thinking back to when they were in the academy, he recalled that her locks were a different color and she didn't have those strange ears and tails, but now she also appeared livelier and much less like 'the doll' she had been nicknamed at the time. He had never spoken to Naruko before but had always wanted to, given how she always had the highest academic scores in the class. This indicated she was very intelligent and unlike him always appeared to have an interest in all things around her, seemingly putting forth her best efforts to learn everything that was taught. What made them different? He wondered.

Stifling his laughter after a few moments, Kiba composed himself and spoke calmly with a gesture towards the two girls, "Chouji, Shikamaru, this is Naruko. I've already told you a little about her… And I am sure you guys remember Hinata, who graduated with us last year."

The long haired girl bowed briefly, "Nice to meet you two."

Hinata merely gave them a small wave, as she remembered the pair.

"How do you do," the plump boy replied, in between his nearly ceaseless eating.

"Yo," the slim male pitched in while staring at them curiously. Even though, he didn't have any particular fondness towards girls, seeing them as more trouble than they were worth. He had to admit, Kiba was right when he said they were both pretty. And neither appeared interested in Sasuke either, who was currently surrounded by both his usual entourage of Sakura and Ino, plus a couple of other local girls who had graduated in the same year.

Kiba started up a conversation with his old friends, feeling much more at ease now among people he could relate to easily.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Staring restlessly at the group from the middle of the room, a girl with dark brown hair tied into two spherical buns on the back her head stood up abruptly, seemingly having made up her mind about something. She wore a pink vest with red trimming around the arm holes, and three horizontal golden lace fasteners on the front. Her baggy pants were a dark sea green and had a ninja pouched attached to the right leg with bandages and a single strap.

Realizing her intentions, a boy with long brown hair and white eyes, who was sitting next to her, spoke up in a calm collected tone, "There's not much time left Tenten."

"I know that Neji, but I still want to talk to her," she replied with a touch of impatience, in a light girlish voice.

The tattooed boy's voice in the back of the room could be heard even from where they were sitting.

He stared at her for a moment then sighed, following up with, "Alright, but don't make too much of a fuss. The one with the dog is already making enough of a commotion as it is."

Glancing briefly back at him, Tenten nodded and walked off towards Team 8.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Shikamaru and Kiba were chatting away, talking about what they had done the past few months. The tattooed boy was doing most of the talking, but the one with the ponytail was doing his fair share as well, having found something to alleviate some of his boredom. Chouji had been mostly listening, but joined in occasionally adding onto something his teammate said or discussing the types of food they came across in the various places they visited. The dark mood from earlier, had disappeared almost entirely while Kiba talked away with his previous classmates. Naruko and Hinata were standing off to the side listening in on the conversation. Of the two, the girl with the light lavender eyes was clearly the more attentive, as the red haired one appeared distracted. It was clear something was still bothering her. When Tenten got near them, Naruko turned towards her with discerning gaze.

The girl with the buns hesitated only very briefly before speaking up casually, "Do you remember me, Naruko-chan?"

The blind girl was silent a moment, as she took in the scent of this newcomer and scanned her, "Your name is Tenten, a Genin specializing in using ninja tools of all kinds through summoning techniques, and you are part of Team Guy."

Clearly surprised, she was remembered not only right away but quite distinctly, the girl with the brown hair was agape, "Umm… that's right. I didn't think you would remember, since it's been almost a year and a half."

The blind girl, tilted her head downwards momentarily before staring directly back at the other girl, she sounded tired when she replied, "There are few things I don't remember."

Hinata, having noticed the girl with the pink vest, was glancing at her sideways while trying to listen to both conversations.

Confused by the way she answered, Tenten asked tentatively, "Is something wrong?"

Naruko shook her head in response, "It's nothing you need to worry about. Was there anything you needed in particular Tenten-san?"

"Guy-san has told me a lot about you since our team was formed. He said you're the strongest female Genin here, so I was hoping to get the chance to ask you a few things," the girl with the pink vest said with a bit of excitement.

Gazing at her intently, Naruko returned casually, "I don't know if Guy-sama is right or not, but I don't mind answering whatever questions you may have."

"Is it true when you were in the academy only Hinata-san could spar with you, because the others couldn't keep up?" Tenten asked brightly.

"Yes…" the long haired girl answered.

She wasn't sure whether to ask this question or not, since it seemed kind of rude, but her curiosity got the better of her, "… are you really blind? It's kind of hard to believe considering you've made it this far to the exams and all."

Her case was indeed unique, among Konoha at least, so she answered seriously, "It was difficult for others to train me at first, but yes. And I have developed a special sensory ability, which helps me in many ways."

This was something she didn't know anything about, so Tenten decided to shelf it away for later since she didn't have any ready questions to ask, and continued enthusiastically, "I heard you were forbidden from using your katana while in the academy. What was the reason behind that?"

Initially annoyed by Tenten's appearance, Hinata was relieved to know that this new girl didn't appear to know Naruko very well. They probably met only briefly at some after graduation event. It appeared this girl was interested in her friend based solely on what she mentioned earlier.

Pausing for several moments, Naruko wondered why this girl was so interested in such things. Was she trying to probe for information about her abilities in case they fought? It seemed too direct though, if that was the case. She decided to give a somewhat vague answer, even though she knew the exact reason, "It was because of my sword techniques. My sensei didn't want me using them against other students."

"Humm…" she replied strangely. Even though Tenten didn't quite know what to make of the answer, she was still impressed nonetheless. Were they really that powerful or dangerous? She had never heard of an instance like this before, but if Naruko had learned something beyond what normal students had access to, it would make sense. "What made you choose to learn Kenjutsu? That's not something which Konoha teaches normally," she went on.

"It was one of the few things I could pick up well initially. Not being part of a clan, I have no heritage to follow, so I chose something my sensei said I was capable of becoming good at," Naruko replied softly, recalling the memories of that time.

_She really is quite interesting, _Tenten thought. She only wished they were on the same team, having Kurenai as her sensei would have been much more preferable to her current and often embarrassing team leader.

"Did you come to a similar conclusion or were your circumstances different?" the red haired girl asked curiously.

"You could say that, I didn't have anything I was particularly good at until I started using summoning techniques and ninja weapons. I wanted to be like Tsunade-sama at first, but since I wasn't good at Taijutsu or medical jutsu I had to seek other paths," the girl with the pink vest replied.

Hearing the faint, but strange sound of a wooden panel sliding open, Naruko turned towards the front of the room.

Following suit, Tenten asked, "What is it?"

Suddenly, a large cloud of smoke puffed into life at that location. Everyone turned towards it and the outlines of about a dozen ninja could be made out. When the smoke dissipated, it became clear these were the proctors of the exam. A particularly large man in the middle of the group, called out in a stern voice, "Alright you bunch of slackers! It's time for the first part of the exam to begin, so quiet down and get situated! We will be assigning random seating here, so when you hear your name called out by an instructor, go to the row they are on. You will be seated from left to right."


	39. Chapter 37

Chapter 37 – Mind Games

Staring at Hinata and Naruko from the right back side of the room, Kiba clicked his tongue in irritation. Everyone had been separated from their own teams. They were each handed out a paper faced down, and told not to start until he went over the rules. He wondered why these were necessary to begin with since it seemed just like the written tests back in the academy. Regardless, now that they were split up, things were going to become much more difficult even with Akamaru's help, who was sitting beside him. His red haired teammate had said each test was setup a little differently depending on the instructor— this was probably what she was talking about. Sighing, he gazed over at the large rugged shinobi in the front of the room and waited.

Looking around, Ibiki saw everyone was situated so he began explaining in a formal tone, "First of all, you are not allowed to make any comments or ask questions, anyone who breaks this rule will be dismissed immediately along with their team, so make sure you listen carefully." Most of the genins faces hardened or reflected a sort of confused displeasure at the rule, while a few shifted uncomfortably. It was clear no one had any desire to be removed in such a manner, particularly when it also concerned their teammates.

Looking around briefly, he made sure everyone was paying attention then continued while writing notes on the board, "This test will be based on a ten point system with each question being worth one point. The last one will be given out in 15 minutes. Your team's combined answers will determine if you pass or not and you must collectively get at least eight out of ten questions correct. If you are caught cheating you will lose two points for each offence. Getting caught five times will fail not only you, but your whole team. It is also possible to fail with a combination of these, meaning if you are spotted four times and miss two or more questions you will also fail. " Nearly everyone in the room now wore grim or disturbed expressions, some of them were even grumbling and Ibiki could tell they wanted to voice their complaints. He only smiled in satisfaction. _How many of them would fail before it was all over_?

Staring at the man in the front of the room, Naruko recognized his voice from before. She had spoken to him on several occasions during her time at the intelligence agency. Thinking back sadly, she remembered he was the one who told her about the deaths of his men and the other that was put into a coma. Strangely enough, he had never blamed her for what had occurred. Though her keen ears had detected subtle edge in his voice which belayed his inner feelings, she lacked the experience and understanding necessary to determine what it hinted at.

Running her hand over the paper casually, she could tell the questions were all fairly long and wondered what they were about. The letters were backwards, but it would have been easy for her to figure them out if she focused on them. Her sense of fairness however, kept Naruko from starting prematurely. Staring back up at the man in the front, she didn't doubt this was going to be a difficult test. There were many more ways to fail than pass, though this didn't bother her very much. Regulations, procedures, and laws were things she was used to following out of not only habit, but acceptance that they were necessary.

Glancing over at Naruko, Hinata saw she was composed as usual and frowned. Wasn't she bothered by the fact their team could fail if one of them didn't pass? She was made extremely nervous by this prospect and had no desire to hold her friend back, whom she felt certain could pass even by herself. Letting out a small sigh, Hinata knew that Naruko would hold them blameless if it occurred, and that would make things even harder, at least for her. If what the other girl said was correct, they would be worked as a team in the next part of the exam, which she felt would be much easier. They just needed to get past this first…

After checking his watch, to see if the appropriate start time was upon them, Ibiki called out sternly, "You may begin!"

Taking a deep breath, Hinata flipped the paper over started going over the first question. It was a complex cryptogram. Blinking a couple of times in surprise, she wondered why this would put such a difficult problem on this test. Could anyone even solve this within the time limit? Out of curiosity, she activated her Byakugan and saw Naruko was writing on the back of the paper, seemingly working on possible solutions. There were also four others in the room who were apparently already writing out their answer.

_Were there that many people here who were smarter than Naruko?_ She didn't think that was very likely, they couldn't have figured out the answer so quickly. Something about it bothered her, but she wasn't sure what it was yet. Shifting her focus to Kiba, she noticed he was agape and becoming more disturbed as he went over each question. Looking over the rest of the problems, she saw why. It wasn't just the first question that was difficult— all of them were.

_What the hell is up with this test?_ Kiba thought in irritation, he couldn't answer even one of the questions. They were all either super hard or related crap he didn't even remember hearing about in school, even when he was paying attention. Moving his eyes over his teammates, he noticed Hinata appeared to be thinking, but Naruko seemed to be writing out one of her answers. Although her ability was something he had expected it was still a bit frustrating actually watching her. It was hard to be envious though, as her studies and training left her no time for anything else that could be considered fun or entertaining. Turning to Akamaru, Kiba patted him and gave a nod. The white dog seemed to understand the look on his master's face and jumped on the desk, then start scanning other people's papers.

It didn't take long before the others resorted to garnering answers from their neighbors as well, the very difficulty of the exam necessitated this for most, and the rules themselves both alluded to and allowed it. Not long following this however, the Chuunin assistants in the room who were situated out along each side of the genin, began calling out individuals and declaring their failure. And with each additional team that got eliminated the others became even more nervous, while the tension in the room escalated further. At the ten minute marker, more than half the teams had been removed. The remaining half were more hard pressed to complete the test since the potential to be caught increased with time, along with the fact they had less people to rely on for answers.

Having finished, Naruko had started twirling some strands of her hair, while waiting for the last answer to be given out. Ibiki noticed this and smirked, the girl seemed to be completely unaffected by the atmosphere in the room. Not only that, but she was also among the first to finish. There was only one other person in the room who was equally calm, a boy with short red hair and pale skin with a tattoo on his face. Shifting his eyes between the two of them he doubted they were related. Looking around the room curiously, he wondered who her teammates were. The fact she was still here, meant they were reliable enough not to get caught too many times. Eyeing his watch again, he resumed scanning the room while he waited the rest of the time out.

Writing out the last question, Hinata was able to finally breathe more easily. It had been nerve wrecking trying to get the answers to the questions she couldn't do. Although the girl didn't think anyone would make note of her doujutsu usage, it was still hard to focus with so many people around her being removed from the exam. At least she was able to figure out early on that those other four in the room were writing their answers from memory, rather than coming up with the answers. Enlight of this, she was able to determine they were supposed to be the targets of this information gathering test. Glancing over at her friend, she wondered whether she had done the same or if she was able to answer them all normally.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Sitting absently on a couch in the Jounin lounge, Kurenai traced the rim of her mug that was filled with tea. There were several others in the area as well, Guy, Kakashi, and Asuma among them. The first two were chatting idly about something, though what she had no idea, since she wasn't paying attention. Asuma was smoking a cigarette while playing cards with a couple of others she didn't know much about. Thinking back, she remembered how close the two of them had been at one point, but now things were very different. Six years ago, she had told him about her intention to adopt Naruko, but the affair had been met with nothing but unpleasantness.

He made it very clear up front he wanted nothing to do with her, it was a response she had somewhat expected considering his carefree personality. The man liked his freedom and anything that would hinder it, was considered a nuisance in his book. Of course she didn't let it end there. Having visited and talked with the girl, she told him that wouldn't be an issue because of the girl's high level of independence. 'There would be no need to take care of her personally…' Kurenai had said. He didn't seem to believe the idea at all initially, though she was eventually able to get him to accept this, for what good it did.

The issue of her status, as well as the feelings of the village towards the girl, came on the very next day. It was a problem he felt would bring the both of them considerable grief, and not one he was willing to accept. This had been something she herself, thought about at length before finally resolving to go through with and after several more days of arguing with him over it, she finally gave up. Regardless of what she said, he wouldn't change his mind. Their close friendship gradually began to disintegrate after that and over time they would rarely even acknowledged each other in passing, unless it was necessary to interact for official duties.

Kurenai had sacrificed much of her social life in order to raise the girl. Other people, those whom she used to call friends, also became distanced from her in a similar fashion and she rarely had any positive interactions with other shinobi besides Guy, and although she didn't want to admit it at times, Anko. Though they only knew each other a few years, the eccentric woman was probably the closest friend she had now. Made more so by their mutual association with Naruko, whom Anko had met almost two years ago. The purple haired woman also had a carefree personality though with her it was more intrinsic, rather than a shield used to stave off responsibility or hardship. Her friend wasn't bothered by what others thought of her and associated with anyone she found to her liking.

Taking a deep breath, she thought about her daughter. The woman remembered how the girl's feelings towards her had grown steadily, despite everything that had happened. She was never held at fault for anything that occurred with the villagers and always shown a degree of respect and later, even fondness. Despite the fact Naruko's emotions had always been fairly shallow, Kurenai firmly believed the girl cared deeply for her and would likely be willing to do almost anything. Neither asked any favors of the other, but there was a firm undeniable bond between them. One that was partly nurtured by the girl's ability to notice changes in her mother's physical condition, even though she didn't understand what Kurenai was going through or feeling most of the time, her attentiveness towards her mother made her able to sense when she wasn't her normal self. It was a weak form of insight but the only thing she was able to do up until recently.

The woman took another sip of her tea and recalled that the Hokage still hadn't told her daughter about her past and parents yet. This was something which had been on her mind a lot recently. She had no doubts Naruko would react quite strongly to it and was frightened by the prospect, since she felt it held a high potential to change their relationship. The woman had after all, hidden this from her since the beginning. And though the girl had never asked, she still felt guilty about it. Would Naruko question her motives? That was the most important issue of all, and one which she did not have a solid answer for…

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Looking around with a grim sort of satisfaction, Ibiki couldn't help but be pleased by the fact there were less than half of the genin remaining. Even more of them would be eliminated later after they checked the answers, if they were even around after his final proposal. "Time's up!" he shouted then smirked slyly. "I hope everyone is feeling confident about their answers," he said with a laugh. "Because there is one thing I must tell you, before I give you the last question." Ibiki paused briefly to gauge their reactions and smiled, "Anyone who fails to answer it correctly will lose their ability to take the Chuunin Exam – permanently. Not only that, but as with previously, your entire team will also be affected along you. However, unlike before, you may choose if you wish to take it or not. Meaning you can stay and risk your ability to advance or leave and try again another time."

Staring at the man strangely for a moment, Naruko wondered whether he actually had the authority to institute such a condition. She dismissed the idea quickly. If it was just their village or perhaps on a individual basis, such a thing might have been possible, but with so many other countries involved it was highly improbable without making amendments to exam regulations ahead of time. Unlike the survival portion of the test where consent forms were given out, this one didn't involve that, which to some people losing the ability to be promoted was just as serious as their own life. Passive agreement alone wouldn't be enough.

It took every bit of Kiba's willpower to not lash out vehemently at the instructor in front of the room. _This bullshit exam was a pain in the ass enough already! _The boy clenched his fists tightly and took slow deep breaths to try and calm down. As much as he wanted to cuss out that Jounin, if he did, they would all fail and he had no desire to throw in the towel here. Glancing around, he noticed that there were quite a few other people who appeared to be stressed out or upset as well and this brought him a measure of comfort. He didn't know what this final problem was going to be, but if he gave up here, there wouldn't have been any point in any of them showing up to begin with.

Even though she was distressed by what the instructor said, Hinata was determined to go through with it. Given the deception of the entire first part of the exam, she felt quite strongly that he was trying to trick them again. It was after all, an integral part of being a shinobi to try and deceive your opponent in various ways. The girl also believed that this was somehow an important component of the test, though how or what exactly, she didn't know.

"Anyone who wishes to leave may speak out now and raise your hand," Ibiki spoke in a loud voice that lacked any warmth or sympathy.

The already crumbling resolve of the shinobi shattered then – his tone indicated it was no idle threat. Two genin slowly raised their hands.

"I-I… give up," the first one said with a sorrowful glance at her teammates.

The other spoke in a defeated manner, "I can't go on... I am sorry guys."

As the chunin called out the rest of their team and they started leaving, those who were wavering in their decision announced their desire to leave as well, one by one in a cascade like effect. Seeing others departing lessened the shame of doing so and made it easier for others to come forward. A few minutes later, only nineteen teams remained. Glancing around one final time, Ibiki noticed the most of the remaining genin had firm expressions indicating their willingness to continue. To him however, it was simply a façade, he could tell they only hung on by a thread and any further incitation on his part would likely break them many of them.

Satisfied, he began, "The rest of you remaining have gotten the final problem correct."

Seeing some confused looks Ibiki explained,"It was a critical question of whether you possessed the resolve necessary to continue in the face of adversity. As chuunin leaders, this is a quality you must possess since you will be tasked with missions that will endanger not only yourself, but the lives of your comrades. Such decisions are weighty and failure can be very costly."

He paused momentarily to let them absorb his words, "The first exam is officially over, though keep in mind, we will still be checking over your answers to determine whether you have actually passed or not. As some of you may have figured out this was a test of your information gathering capabilities and the accuracy of that, is key in determining your success. Whether it was acquired entirely on an individual basis or through the collective effort of your group is irrelevant, hence the earlier rule. Your team leaders will be told of your results later today. You are dismissed."

As soon as he said that, Naruko immediately stood up and formed a single hand seal then disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Kiba and Hinata looked at the spot she was just at then at each other somewhat perplexed. Anko, who had been waiting on a nearby rooftop outside the testing room, groaned and complained loudly, "Damn that Ibiki, he totally ruined my surprise!" Not only did he disrupt her entrance by dismissing them so quickly, but he gave Naruko a chance to escape. Scanning the area carefully for a moment, the woman sighed deeply, she was nowhere to be found.

It was nearly impossible to find the light-footed girl when she didn't want to be found, since she had the strange ability to deactivate her chakra at will. _How had she learned such a thing anyway?_ Anko had to admit, she didn't really talk with Naruko as much as she liked to. The occasions they met were so rare, she was usually too caught up in the moment to have a normal conversation with her. Kurenai always told her that the two of them would get along better if she would just treat her daughter normally every once in a while and Anko knew her friend was probably right.

Glancing over at the room where all the genin were leaving, she remembered about the Hyuga girl. She could probably find her teammate… but the woman doubted very much she would help her. Anko knew the girl liked Naruko, though somehow she felt there was more to it than that. The way she reacted when she mentioned that last time was very telling plus a bit curious to say the least. Smiling mischievously, an idea suddenly came to mind and the woman brightened up considerably as she left.


	40. Chapter 38

Chapter 38 – Conflicted

In a swirl of green leaves, Naruko reappeared at the grassy edge of the village's lake, an area largely encircled by trees. Though most people called it that, it was more like a very large pond, with a small fishing pier. It was located down the hill a short distance behind the old Uchiha clan hold. After their massacre several years back, people rarely came to this area anymore, since you had to pass by the abandoned hall to get here. This was however one of Naruko's favorite spots due to that fact, since here, their voices could not reach her. Gazing out over the lake, she was reflecting on how much she had changed recently due to all that had happened. In many ways, life was more difficult now than before and she was unsure how to feel about it. With the shadow now looming over her mind, it was hard for her to think about such things with a clear head.

Despite the fact the results of the first exam had not been given out yet, the girl within, which had remained quiet during it, seemed to grow eager in anticipation of the next, as if she knew battle would follow. While having this 'other' inside of herself was already an uncomfortable state to begin with, Naruko was also confused about her identity. She did not know why, but felt that the girl who helped her before in the fight with that swordsman and the one which was now haunting her thoughts, were both somehow different but also the same. Similar in that she believed they were the same entity, but varying in their disposition and presence. The only time before now, that the girl was able to speak to her, was when she was severely weakened. But now she was able to voice her thoughts clearly and forcefully, even though Naruko was unable to communicate back.

The other's desire for conflict and violence was palpable and was something that she was strongly at odds with. Although the long haired girl had no compunctions against fighting in and of itself, she did not relish the idea of taking the lives of others. Thinking back, Naruko recalled she had killed, either directly or indirectly, over three dozen people so far - nine of them having been ninjas. Most of the others had been part of a group of bandits her other team had been tasked with dealing with. Those deaths had the most impact on her so far. Unsheathing Masamune in a smooth silent motion, she held it up in front of her face, the blade reflected part of her features. She still remembers the event very clearly in her mind...

* * *

><p>The sun was just setting on the western sky, cloaking the forest slowly in a shroud of darkness. Kneeling on a large tree branch, Team 8 was overlooking the bandit encampment. It was much more organized than they were led to believe. Naruko, having scouted the place, spoke quietly in a emotionless voice, "The entire camp is surrounded by vertical spiked logs, that are firmly bound in corded rope. There are numerous bundles and they are also supported by braces on the inside. It's roughly rectangular in shape with circular ends around the shorter sections. There are four guards armed with bows and swords, one in each of the towers overlooking the entrances. The southwestern nearby and an eastern one which is facing the river a short distance away. The other two guards patrol the perimeter on planks located a few feet below the rim of the spikes. They are all males with the exception of a few females. About half of them are sleeping, the rest are either engaged in conversation or drinking."<p>

After finishing, Naruko stared at their team leader, a Hyuga named Kou. The man was wearing a typical dark blue ninja shirt and pants with a flak jacket over it. He wore his Konoha band over the red symbol on the left arm. Glancing at the blond girl he spoke in a calm tone, "What about the inside?"

"There are six huts near the eastern wall, with a gap between for a path to the gate, which I presume are used for sleeping since that's where they are resting. There is one large building across from the northern ones in which they are storing their pilfered goods. Three more buildings are located south of that, one is a dining hall and another is an armory. The last one is some kind of prison and is where the females are. There is a basement floor under it as well," she replied, passively.

The two genin boys, whom were already nervous and unsteady, shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the word 'prison', but their Jounin leader appeared unperturbed. He did however, seem to be impressed by her report, it was quite thorough and he felt like she could probably answer his other questions, so he decided to skip over any details and give out his instructions. Gazing over at the male genin, Kazuki and Youchi, he commanded harshly, "You two split off to the east and west sides of the camp and find a good spot to watch from, do nothing else."

Their eyes showed some confusion, but each of them nodded in turn. Seeing them still in place, he glared at them. "What are you still doing here? Go!" he hissed sharply. They took off immediately in different directions. He could tell they were afraid, but he didn't care. This was part of the show and their feelings on the matter were irrelevant. Turning back to Naruko, the man smiled as he stared lewdly at her, something he rarely did with the other two whelps around to bother him.

"You know what you have to do?" he asked the girl slyly.

Naruko turned her gaze towards the encampment and nodded slightly. The bandits were responsible for the deaths of numerous people during their looting and pillaging of the nearby villages. Not only that, but the local populace lacked both a system and the facilities to deal with such a large number of prisoners. Why he had chosen her to execute this task alone, was her only real question.

His face became a wicked grin, as he uttered darkly, "Then go, show them the price for their foolishness."

The girl was gone in a flash, Kou was surprised at how fast she moved. Seeing as how she was wearing weighs, he knew meant her speed was far greater than his own with them off. Before now, he had never seen her engaging anyone seriously and this was part of the reason he chose her for this. The genin watching, probably wouldn't be able to see her at all, until it was all over. Were it not for his Byakugan, he would have some difficulty tracking her as well. Though he couldn't help but admire her as he did so, for Naruko's movements were fluid and catlike, very fitting for a kunoichi. Her blurred form with long hair in tow, was similar to watching a gust of wind circling around.

Moving in close, Naruko took out the first perimeter patrol from behind, stabbing her blade with a lightning fast motion through his spinal cord and severing the arteries to his heart at the same time. She smoothly propped him between the teeth of the walls and finished the other three guards in a similar manner while remaining undetected. With them all dead, Kou moved up to the camp itself and landed on top of the southwestern tower so he could get a better view. Jumping down between the huts, Naruko stopped to form two quick hand seals. Her long hair grew all the way to her feet then wrapped around her entire body, before she sunk and disappeared into the earth. A couple of seconds later, she flowed up from the floor as if it was water, just inside the back of the hut. When she fully appeared, her hair unraveled and returned to its normal length.

The interior consisted of ten single beds lined up to each side of the entrance with small dressers in between and a chest at the ends. Their armor and some weapons were located within these. Several of the beds were occupied and all of the men were in deep slumber. Standing over the closest one with the faint presence of a ghost and katana drawn, she listened to his steady breathing and heartbeat, sensed his relaxed muscles. The blind girl realized then what she was doing.

This was assassination... killing someone in their private unguarded moments when they had no chance to react or fight back. It was a form of murder usually only employed by their highest ranking and skilled ninjas on the most lucrative and dangerous of missions. Missions that were kept secret even from the people in their own village. Staring expressionlessly at the man's face, Naruko knew there was only one way to slay him without alerting the others... In a swift chopping motion, she brought the blade down on his neck.

The Jounin was almost ecstatic as he watched her kill them, his expression was one of fevered obsession and joy. Though the way she was ending their lives was merciful, it was also artistic in its precision, speed and power. Her cutting through their flesh and bones probably held no more resistance than slicing a piece of paper. And she went about it methodically like a cook chopping the heads off of dead fish.

Having taken care of all the sleeping bandits, Naruko stopped briefly outside the dining hall. Kou smirked slightly at this, it was a bit of caution on her part, but honestly it was meaningless. His beautiful doll had killed more than half their number and the ones left inside were still completely unaware. It was obvious now her physical abilities were well above that of a normal genin, he would have to rethink quite a few things enlight of this information.

Standing outside the dining hall, the blind girl no longer had any thoughts clouding her mind, pausing only to throw in one of her black smoke bombs, before striking. When she entered, nearly the entire hall was filled with smoke. Confusion was running rampant through the drunk men as they talked loudly and shouted. Naruko did not hesitate. Her team leader watched from atop the tower with his Byakugan as she swiftly and mercilessly sliced through them. The girl's katana cut through their bodies, armor, chairs, and tables in a whirling dance of death. In less than three seconds, all nine bandits were either dead or mortally wounded. When it was all over, severed torsos, heads, limbs and broken furniture lay scattered about building in disarray. It was a grisly sight and a strong smell of blood quickly filled the large room.

A couple of them were still alive, but having had their bodies cut in half it was only a matter of time. Naruko walked up to these two, who were near the bar counter, and stood over them - her blade still dripping with the blood of their comrades. Their faces were limp, their bodies inert from shock and massive trauma. She had no desire to allow them to suffer and quickly finished them with stabs to the neck, before leaping across the hall to avoid the blood that was flowing over the entire wooden floor. Walking outside, the girl slung the liquid from her blade before sheathing it in a practiced motion.

Kou couldn't have been more pleased with the results, his little dove had exceeded every expectation he had set forth. Giving out a sharp whistle, the Jounin motioned the other two genin to the center of the camp. Jumping down himself, he walked up to her with a cold smile. "Well done," he said casually, while surveying the carnage all around with his Byakugan.

Naruko merely remained silent.

It was obvious all the bandits were dead, but as soon as Kazuki and Youchi arrived, he immediately ordered them to search the buildings and make sure of it. This was part of his little game, and he took great pleasure in it. Instilling fear into them, while implanting obedience would help later when he finally set his plan into motion. It was quite apparent for him after today, he would need them to make his victory complete.

* * *

><p>Her head was throbbing now, a feverish sensation was burning within it and spreading throughout her body as she thought about that man. Naruko's heartbeat quickened. Bringing her hands up to her temple, she tried to steady herself. For a moment, she felt the need to lash out at someone, but the feeling quickly passed just like last time with those ninja's and her mother. It had been an irrational desire, born of an emotion the girl didn't and still couldn't understand. Coming back to herself, she stared oddly at the blade of her sword before running her fingers across it, waiting for her body to return to normal. The red haired girl could barely feel its weight now, it was like holding a feather, an extension of her body.<p>

Then it hit her, that feeling of spiders crawling around in her head.

A chill wind blew past as the dark whispers came again. "**It won't be long now... vengeance will soon be upon us. Those weaklings shan't provide much in the way of entertainment, but their deaths will give some measure of satisfaction nonetheless." **Naruko'sface scrunched up and her grip on the hilt tightened. She tried to shake away the ominous feelings that were prickling her mind, but it was becoming more difficult. _What is going to happen? _The girl couldn't help but wonder.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

With the exam over, all of the remaining genin had left the administration building to go about their own ways. The high level of tension and stress experienced during it had exhausted many of them mentally and it showed clearly on their faces. The two remaining members of Team 8 left together. "Man I am glad that test is over," Kiba said in relief, while he walked along. "Where do you suppose Naruko went though? It's pretty usual for her to leave like that without saying anything."

"I'm worried," Hinata replied quietly next to him.

The boy turned a serious eye towards her, recalling some of the things that happened before the first test. "About what?" he asked calmly.

She said nothing for several moments, seemingly trying to decide whether to talk to him about it or not. Looking at him briefly, the girl saw a similar level of concern etched in his features. Hinata stopped suddenly, then glanced around, there was no one within earshot. "She's been acting a bit strange, since just before the exams started... It's almost like - she is somewhere else," the dark haired girl answered hesitantly.

Kiba wanted to say he understood, but how could anyone know what's its like to be treated as Naruko has? Staring at his teammate though, he felt like she was referring to something different. It was true he didn't know the other girl anywhere near as long as Hinata, so she would undoubtedly possess insights he did not, "I am not sure I get what you're saying."

Hinata hadn't really expected him to know, and was even somewhat relieved to hear so. Turning away, the girl mumbled curtly, "It's nothing, I'll see you later Kiba-kun." She then stalked off hurriedly.

Scratching his head, Kiba watched her go with a helpless expression. Looking at Akamaru, the dog whined at him noncommittally. Obviously his companion wasn't sure what was going on either. It was hard to say what she was thinking, and Kiba couldn't help but feel some awkward tension between the two of them. Sighing, he decided to head back home to wait for the results.

On a nearby rooftop, Anko had watched the short exchange with some interest. Although she hadn't heard what was said, from her perspective, it appeared the Hyuga girl was hiding something. Whatever it was, didn't appear to be anything good and she knew it was likely related to her fox girl. Sighing disconsolately, the Jounin woman couldn't help but feel this was going to ruin her future plans. Watching Hinata leaving, she wondered if this could be a good opportunity to actually improve her relationship with Naruko, instead of straining it further.

It's not like the idea was completely foreign to her... it was simply secondary to her selfish impulsive desires. Biting her thumbnail, the purple haired woman had a complicated expression. Images of Naruko in a cute curled up position and others of her with a bashful but welcoming gaze kept flitting through her mind. Complaining loudly, Anko stomped the ground in protest then took off after Hinata in a flurry. She hoped the girl hadn't gotten too far ahead.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Sitting hunched over out on the wooden porch in the back of his home, Kiba was absently watching Akamaru interacting with the other dogs. The boy was wearing a rare downtrodden expression. His sister Hana, watched him for a moment through the glass screen door, before opening it up and stepping outside. Clearly something was on his mind, for her little brother was hardly ever like this. Taking a seat next to him, she too started observing the dogs. The woman had two red fang like facial tattoos that were very similar to Kiba's, though her hair was neatly brushed and tied into a ponytail. Her outfit consisted of the light tan shirt and shorts frequently utlized by Konoha medical-nin. They said nothing for several minutes until Hana finally spoke up.

"Did the test go well?"

It took the boy a moment to reply, "Dunno, but as long as I got one of the questions right we'll probably pass."

"...was it really that hard?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah."

"When are you going to find out the results?"

"Probably in another couple of hours," Kiba replied, relaxing somewhat. Regardless of how he was feeling, he could usually calm down after talking to his sister. Sitting up, he took a deep breath, "Girls are really complicated..."

"What do you mean?" Hana questioned calmly.

"I can't really understand what they are thinking most of the time, and some of the stuff they do is really confusing," he spoke with some frustration.

Turning towards him, "That's just how some people are when you're really trying to get to know them. The fact that your putting forth the effort means that you care, it's nothing to feel concerned about."

"I suppose your right..."

Though his features relaxed even more, Hana felt like he still had something on his mind. The boy remained silent for several more moments before talking again.

"Do you know anything about Naruko, Nee-san?"

"Your teammate..?" she responded a bit uneasily.

He turned towards her this time.

"Probably about as much as you know," Hana replied awkwardly.

"Is that really all?" he pushed.

Should she tell him? Doing so would be going against the Hokage's wishes and might even make the situation worse, but- staring into his eyes she could tell he wanted the truth. Still, she had to make certain, "Knowing everything won't necessary help you get closer to her, little brother."

The boy could feel his face getting red, and he turned away. "It's not like that," he denied stubbornly.

Staring at him carefully, she said softly, "She's very pretty isn't she? I've seen her at the market a few times. Under normal circumstances, boys probably wouldn't be able leave her alone. The girl is also polite and straight forward from what I've seen. It would be easy for anyone to like her... but reality can be quite different."

His embarrassment disappearing with Hana's words, Kiba shifted his attention towards her again.

"Twelve years ago, not too long after you were born, our village was attacked by a powerful creature known as the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. Many people, including our father, died in that attack which destroyed over half the village. Homes were lost. Loved ones, relatives and children alike, perished in great numbers during the battle. We would have probably all died, if the Fourth Hokage had not given up his life to stop it," the young woman finished sadly.

The boy had never heard such a thing before, he only knew the Fourth died protecting the village. "But what does that have to do with Naruko though?" Kiba asked finally, after thinking about it.

Looking at him again, her expression turned to one of pity, "That creature is sealed inside of her..."


	41. Chapter 39

Chapter 39 - Other

_Where was she?_ Hinata wondered, as she leapt around the city. There were only a handful of spots in the village her friend could have gone and she had checked all of them except two – her home and the lake near the Uchiha Clan Hold. A shadow feel across her face, she had no desire to be anywhere near that place. Not only were there ill rumors surround it, but it also gave off a foreboding aura that made even animals stay away from it. It was oppressive and made one feel like they were being slowly chocked to death. And now that it was early nightfall, the area would likely appear even more sinister. She hadn't realized so much time had gone by already.

Gazing back with her eye doujutsu, the Hyuga could see she had lost her pursuer. The speed which she was going had made it not only difficult for the woman to keep up, but also didn't allow for stealthy action, which was how she noticed Anko. Hinata figured the examiner was probably really after Naruko, no doubt to harass her some more, and that was something she wouldn't allow. Had she been wearing her weights it probably wouldn't have worked out so well, but like this she was definitely faster. The girl could see the Clan Hall now looming in the distance. It's traditional japanese architecture was cloaked in shadows and hollow spaces that were bereft of life.

As the lake came into view, Hinata finally noticed her near the northwestern edge facing away from the hold. Landing a short distance behind the other girl, Hinata sensed something was amiss and it instilled an usual caution in her approach. When she got within a few paces, Naruko turned towards her teammate, sword drawn, but at her side pointing towards the ground. The stance surprised Hinata and she took an involuntary step backwards outside of its reach. However, she knew immediately the action held no meaningful value, if Naruko truly intended to harm her, no amount of distance would change that. Her friend was an exceptional katana wielder, whose swings were almost completely invisible even to her all compassing vision, due to the constant training with weights on her arms.

With the blade reflecting the water from the lake, the red haired girl spoke in a strangely unsettling voice, "Are you afraid?"

Shifting her eyes towards the razor sharp edge briefly, Hinata stared directly at her before stepping forward bravely. She had doubted her friend once before and still remembers the deeply hurt expression on her face. The girl appeared calm as she spoke, "No, I know you would never hurt me."

Her face twitched in response, it was clear the reply had been an unexpected one."What makes you think that?" Naruko shot back dangerously, her grip tightening on her weapon.

A chill ran through Hinata— though this was unmistakably the same person she had known for years, the way she spoke made her very uneasy. It was almost like she was talking to someone else. Her body kept trying to get away, but she wouldn't listen. She knew if she did, it would make her no different than the villagers. "Because... because I believe in you," Hinata managed to say steadily with some effort.

Naruko did not respond, only quietly stared at the other girl with her closed eyes. After a long pause, the fox girl lowered her head and sheathed her sword with a wooden chink, "Humph."_ Is this why she cares about so much_? The words themselves were trivial, but Hinata's actions had resounded loudly and she could feel no fear from her, only a faint sense of unease. Shifting her gaze back up, Naruko opened her eyes, revealing lush green orbs which focused on the one before her.

The incredible surprise on her face was evident. It was the first time Hinata had ever seen her friend's eyes. "...You... can see now..?" she asked in astonishment.

Drawing close to the stunned Hyuga, Naruko gave an amused smile, "In a way..." Reaching up with her right hand, she clasped the dark blue haired girl's long bangs gently and rubbed them between her fingers. "But you know... your timing is impeccable."

"What do you mean..?" Hinata questioned with some puzzlement.

Glancing towards the village, the girl said softly, "I was going to start killing the people there, however..."

_Eh?_ _Killing...? _She couldn't believe what she just heard.

Turning back towards Hinata pointedly, "—since you came along I've changed my mind, for now anyway..." Peering into the milky white and lavender eyes, she saw a myriad of emotions. "What's the matter? You seem troubled," she said coyly.

Clasping Naruko's left hand with her own two, the dark haired girl threw out, "It's not true is it? What you just said? You would never... do such a thing."

Shifting her eyes briefly towards their hands, the fox girl felt a peculiar warmth that went beyond the simple contact, but she ignored it. "You're partly right," she replied mildly. "The person you know lacks the capacity to perform such an act, but I do not."

The already bewildered Hinata was almost at a complete loss, "What are you saying? I don't understand..."

Stroking the other girl's face gently, she stared into her eyes, "Have you ever wanted to hurt a person for saying or doing negative things to you or those you care about? Ever wished to lash out at them vehemently, regardless of the consequences? Or felt the need to follow a thought guided purely by emotions or desire? That drive, that inkling of a spark buried deep within your consciousness. It forces you to action without caring or considering anything else; is it the sensation that embodies true freedom. Irrational in nature, this is the purest form of expression that each of us possesses but rarely ever use... because we are bound by fear. Fear stemming from cowardice, some semblance of order, or worse yet, a perverted sense of justice that has distorted your impetus into apathy and displaced responsibility into the system."

Hinata stood gaping, unspeaking, and uncomprehending at someone who seemed now, very much a stranger to her.

"You want to know who I am?" she asked, to the silent question. "I am the spark which resides within Naruko."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Slamming open the door to the Chuunin Exam office area, Anko stomped by between the long wooden counter and chairs that were lined against the wall. The extremely sour look on her face made the personnel manning the reception area keep to themselves and pretend they didn't notice anything. _Dammit! That cheeky brat, how dare she do that to me! I will definitely pay her back twice over for this! _It was one thing to lose out to Naruko, whom she thought to be an outstanding shinobi despite her age, but she couldn't stand the idea of being dodged by her reserved and soft-spoken friend. The woman's normally pale cheeks were flushed an angry red as she neared Ibiki's office in the back, while pushing aside any hapless individuals who got in her way.

Opening the door to the man's room violently, the fiery woman strode up to his desk with authority. Seemingly unbothered by her rude entrance and demeanor, the hardened ninja kept reading through the document he was holding. This appeared to infuriate Anko further and she slammed her hands down on his desk, "Hey Ibiki! Quit reading that crap for a second and listen!"

He glanced up at her briefly to acknowledge her presence, but then resumed reading. He was already used to her wild mood swings, total disregard for formalities and the chain of command. Still, this was the first time he had seen her genuinely upset. Utterly unshaken, he spoke calmly in his deep voice after a few seconds, "What is it you want?"

"Is there some way we can disqualify a singular genin from the exam?" Anko asked fervently.

The question was so absurd, the man wondered whether he had heard her right or not, looking up from his papers, "You know the answer to that well enough, why are bothering me with such nonsense?"

"I want you to tell me a way we can get rid of someone in the exam without affecting the rest of their team!" she threw out insistently.

Ibiki sighed. Although people rarely got on his nerves, she was starting to test his limits. Not only completely ignoring his question, but also making impossible demands without reason. He decided to take a new approach, "I may know of a method we can use, but I need to know who this genin is first so we can come up with a appropriate plan of action."

_Plan of action? Now we're talking!_ "Her name is Hinata Hyuga, she's in Team 8," Anko answered energetically, while calming down somewhat.

The elder daughter of the head of the village's oldest clan? He was almost ready to dismiss everything entirely there, but his curiosity got the better of him. So he decided to play along a little longer, "Ahh those arrogant bastards, always thinking they make better ninja's than everyone else just because of their lineage."

The young woman was surprised, she didn't realize he had some kind of enmity towards them, exclaiming excitedly, "That's right! We need to make an example of that pest for the rest of em!"

Putting his documents down, he pulled out a pencil and paper, "It would be best if we had some kind of angle on her, do you know of anything she's done recently which could warrant a black mark?"

Anko wasn't really sure what a 'black mark' was, could it related to the thing he had in mind? In any case, it sounded good to her, "She evaded an instructor who was trying to pass on important information to her teammate, physically abused that same instructor and even talked back to them when they tried to discipline her."

"Humm, so she's both lacking in discipline and has rebellious tendencies," he said aloud while writing. _Sounds like someone I know_, he thought with a smirk. "This could develop into some serious problems later on, we should try to get her removed from the shinobi cast entirely," he stated seriously, gazing up at her with a hardened expression.

Seeing the look on his face Anko faltered, "Well, I don't think we need to go that far... I mean, what she did was bad but..."

"What are you saying now?" he interrupt harshly. "You can't let issues like this slide. People like her tend to become extremely unreliable with time. They begin to question orders, deviate from those they are given, become negligent in their training, often abandon their comrades at the first sign of danger to themselves—"

"Okay jeez, that's enough!" she cut in angrily, not quite knowing why. "Just forgot about it," the young woman added curtly and stalked out.

_Hopefully she has learned her lesson_, Ibiki thought slyly. Looking back at the paper he had pulled out, the man saw only fifteen teams out of the nineteen that remained had passed and most of those had been marginal in nature. His plan to implant false information among the answers of the four disguised Chuunin had worked out beautifully. Were it not for the collective answering, none of the teams would have passed. Though there were a few scattered individuals who managed on their own.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The blank expression of shock on the girl's face was difficult to read, but it seemed at least, she finally understood that the one she knew wasn't the person before her now. Eyeing Hinata's nearly catatonic state, Naruko smirked. _Perhaps all this was a bit too much for this girl to take in all at once?_ She wondered vaguely if Hinata had even understood everything she said, but quickly lost interest and decided to part ways, "Thanks for the little chat, but you should probably return home." Smiling wickedly, she added, "I will do the same." Glancing at the girl once last time, she noticed the words appeared to be registering and took off.

It was difficult trying to find the place through the fragmented pieces of memory they shared. She discovered it was a lot easier to simply let her senses guide the way than rather trying to fit it all together. Much of her anger had quelled after talking to that girl, though she still had more than a passing desire to stop and take bloody vengeance upon the numerous people all around—there was plenty of time left after all. Such an action would have also helped control the taint, however since her other half was playing her part, she must also do hers and refrain. Not only that, but she had a feeling that that woman would prove to be far more interesting than murdering sleeping victims.

Arriving at the apartment complex, Naruko quickly made her way up to their unit. Standing still outside the door, she could feel an incredible amount of feedback from her enhanced perception. It hadn't bothered her before because she was moving, but remaining still for only a few seconds caused her head to start hurting immensely. Being able to see plus use her powerful extended and refined senses was overwhelming. The outline of the entire apartment building as well as that woman and the many other occupants was blindingly clear. Shaking her head, she forcibly disengaged the ability.

Turning towards the door from the table in the dining area, Kurenai noticed Naruko had finally returned, though something was off. She would normally open the door right away and enter, but had not done so yet. It was also exceeding rare for her to return home so late outside of missions. Their eating of dinner together was ritualistic in nature and she had been waiting for nearly half an hour. When the door finally opened, a tension took over her body as she watched her daughter enter in a peculiar manner, like she was a stranger.

Facing Kurenai with her closed eyes, the fox girl smiled and said casually, "I am home, mother" then abruptly opened her eyes.

Launched out of her seat, the woman pulled out a knife from a wooden holder on the nearby counter. The chair toppled to the floor loudly as she screamed, "What are you doing here!-?"

"What kind of question is that?" Naruko replied coyly, as she glanced at her green robe.

The answer threw the woman off guard. While she felt strongly that this was Naruko's other half, the manner in which she spoke was completely different from the times she had encountered her before. But the eyes were unmistakable, her daughter was blind and had a unique blue hue, not this vibrant green color which very much resembled normal iris. "Don't play games with me! What have you done to her?-!" Kurenai demanded, as she thrust the blade forward in a threatening manner.

Naruko laughed darkly, "You do realize how ridiculous your being, right? Holding that decoration in your hand, while quaking in fear on the inside."

Her faced flushed crimson in humiliation and she decided to put the knife away, managing to regain some of her composure in the process. It was completely absurd attempting to challenge this girl with that flimsy weapon, especially since she had no will to use it against her own daughter. If her other half intended to kill her, it would be almost a trivial matter in these confined quarters. Naruko's speed was more than a match even against a ninja of her level, she would have no time to use her techniques from this distance. Her daughter was the worst possible opponent she could face in every way.

"That's better... I am sure you are aware I have no intention of harming you," she said mildly, then removed the black sash and hung it on one of the hooks on the wall near the entrance.

Again, the woman was thrown for a loop, as the always hostile girl disarmed herself and moved closer. _What is going on here?_ She wondered fervently.

Glancing at the table, she noticed the food, "You were waiting for me?"

With a glare, Kurenai spit out, "I wasn't waiting for 'you'!"

"Your anger is misplaced under these circumstances, mother," Naruko returned snidely.

"Stop calling me that! And how can you say its misplaced considering everything you've done!-?", the woman spoke heatedly.

Naruko smiled and crossed her arms, "I assume your referring to those times I tried to kill you? I had a good reason, which I already explained to you." Eyeing the table again, she started walking over to it. Kurenai moved away from her warily, and the girl simply sat down where the other plate was.

"Reason...? What are you talking about?" she asked hazily, trying to remember, those situations did not lend themselves to easy recollection.

"We should eat. I am sure part of the cause for your attitude is because you're hungry," the fox girl stated, while ignoring her question. After several moments, she stared up at the defensive woman and sighed, "I suppose this is too much to ask without recompense..."

"Recompense?"

"She will return soon enough, I haven't taken over her body, if that's what your wondering. This situation is completely temporary," Naruko stated with a touch of irritation.

Relief flooded clearly through Kurenai's features. Her reaction did not go unnoticed.

"Do you really dislike me so much?" the girl asked in a low tone.

The question was completely unexpected, the woman found it difficult to reply. And much to her surprise, she couldn't answer how she thought she would, "I... no... I don't." Her earlier actions had been driven more by instinct and surprise, she realized.

"That's... good," she tried to say dismissively. Perhaps this woman's feelings were genuine towards her? She had a vague sense she was hiding something, but didn't think it was related to this. Those times when she was able to read her mind, she had detected no contradictions or deception towards her other half, perhaps the same held true for her as well. Eyeing the plate of food, she saw what appeared to be some kind of raw meat laid out over and wrapped in rice. There was also a small green glob that was giving off a strong bitter odor. Her senses quickly recognized the food, but she couldn't place the name, "What is this?"

"It's sushi, one of—", she almost said 'your' but caught herself, "—Naruko's favorite dishes."

"Humm... so how do you eat this?" the girl asked mildly.

Making her way over to the table, Kurenai sat down with some hesitance. Hearing that the situation was not permanent had taken a great weight off of her mind, but it was still difficult to accept. However, she found no reason not be defensive anymore, there was not an ounce of hostility coming from her daughter. "Typically you take a small piece of the wasabi and eat with the other food, or dip it in one of the sauces together than eat it. But there is really not set manner for consuming it," she replied stiffly.

"So that was how she does it then?"

"Yes..."

Picking up the chop sticks naturally Naruko started eating somewhat awkwardly.

Despite her misgivings, Kurenai began working on her food as well. As she watched her, numerous questions began popping up in her head, given how things were going the woman decided to see if she could get any responces this time around. "Are you willing to provide some answers?"

Glancing up at her, the girl replied strangely, "This is what you call a 'dinner conversation' isn't it? In that case, I can give you with a few, assuming they aren't directly related to 'me'."

That would reduce her options quite a bit, but unlike last time where she felt suppressed in asking why, this time she had no limitations. "Why is that?" she asked stubbornly.

Naruko sighed, she almost decided to end their conversation there, but that would be counterpoint to what she was trying to achieve, "Let me ask you this, who are you?"

"You're not trying to divert the topic are you?" Kurenai returned.

"It's leading up to my answer," she replied calmly. "Now think about it."

Pausing only for a short moment, she gave a quick answer, "I am Kurenai Yuhi, a Jounin level ninja of the Konohagakure."

Following up immediately, "And if the village and ninja caste system didn't exist, who would you be then?"

"Is this going somewhere?" the woman asked in irritation.

"Only if you answer the question."

Thinking about it a bit longer this time, her reply was surprising vague and she knew it, "I... would still be me, a human living in this world."

The girl almost laughed, but refrained. "Is that how you classify yourself? Living? A human being?" her tone was clearly mocking.

This time Kurenai became angry, "I thought you said this was going somewhere."

"No need for that, it was merely a joke to get you thinking, but obviously it didn't work. I suppose I have her to thank for that?"

She nearly became defensive towards Naruko, but hesitated. When she really put her mind to it, she realized it was very difficult to quantify a person without points of reference. For her to be within another person... what would that make someone? Would they be alive? Or did they simply 'exist'? And what did that mean? To be able to affect the world or others? That would seem like the most logical point, but this girl's existence is dependant entirely on Naruko. Despite being a purveyor of illusions and deception, she never really thought about these things until now. Then again, not many people did, there was no reason to. Reality was predefined for them from the beginning.

"It seems you understand somewhat," she said while staring intently. "We are not so different."

Kurenai didn't like the implications of her words, and said fiercely, "Naruko doesn't kill people indiscriminately."

The girl laughed, "You think I killed them indiscriminately? Who are you referring to anyway? Those idiots that tried to probe her mind? Invade MY private world and search out her thoughts and secrets without so much as a second thought about what they were doing? Or perhaps you mean that ninja with the sword who was trying to kill both her and that girl Hinata? Or maybe that other ninja who violated her body a while back?"

The woman had mixed emotions and was unable to say anything.

"Don't get me wrong however. If I was still under its influence right now, I would likely be doing just as you said, instead of coming here. I have no compunctions against killing the vermin of this village," Naruko added darkly.

_Influence? Did she mean the Kyuubi?_ "What are you referring to..?" Kurenai asked with great reluctance.

"...the taint." she said quietly.

Though unsure of whether she should continue, the woman knew she _had_ to, for her daughter's sake. "Is it some kind of entity... or presence you're talking about...?" she tried to sound unsure.

The girl's expression became cold.

Kurenai felt a chill run through her body, there was an extremely dangerous intent coming from Naruko, that she knew shouldn't be trifled with. It also made her realize how vulnerable she was again in this position.

"Do not try to deceive me, it won't work. Do you know something of it?" she questioned with a deadly calm.

The woman realized her life would be in danger, if she tried to answer dishonestly. Naruko whom had held her in check the previous times, would not be able to do so now. That was the feeling she was getting. So she began, "Shortly after you—she was born, a creature called the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, was sealed within her. It was done... for the protection of the village by the Fourth Hokage. Is that... the taint you're talking about?"

Snorting derisively she spat out, "That thing had been dead for some time. It gave me quite a bit of trouble admittedly, but it is no longer a concern."

"Dead...?", Kurenai asked in shock. She didn't even think it was possible for it to BE killed.

Naruko smirked, "Your face looks just like that girl from earlier when I told her about myself."

It took several moments for her to regain herself somewhat, before she asked, "You killed it...? How...?"

"With the help of the taint."

Kurenai waited for her to continue.

"Do you remember the first couple of times we met?"

The woman was unsure but nodded anyway.

"The second time was me under the influence of the taint, or some expression of it, it's difficult to explain it," she said with uncertainty.

"So your saying you had nothing to with the torture or trying to kill me then?"

She paused a moment, "It's hard to know how much the taint has affected my actions or speech. However, I had no intention or desire to harm you when we first met six years ago, nor that time three years later. It was not your fault you were there then, thought I can't say the same for afterwards."

"Wait... you mean that was you, playing in that snow white world?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes and I knew what was in that place, that's why I tried to keep you away. The terrible frightening memory was something she didn't want anyone to see and it was also when the taint first manifested itself. Though knowing what I do know, I do not believe it would have remained dormant forever regardless. That event merely sped things up quite a bit, and I can't say it was entirely without merit. After all, it allowed me to destroy that arrogant creature's mind," Naruko finished bitterly.

"It's mind? You mean the body still remains?" Kurenai questioned in confusion.

"Rather than its body, more like its power, and it is what's causing these changes to her. Though I am unsure how or why it's happening, my memory under the taint's powerful influence then is quite poor to say the least," she mused, then brought a hand up to her head as a wave of dizziness took over.

"What's wrong?" she asked in concern, getting up from the table.

"I think... I am tired," the girl said uneasily.

Squatting down in front of her, Kurenai said gently, "Do you... not want to go back?"

Staring directly at the woman, she held her weakness in check, "There is little use in trying to comfort me. Besides, aren't you glad she is returning?"

Placing a hand on top of Naruko's, she shook her head, replying softly, "You are... a part of her, I finally understand that now. Rejecting one, would be the same as denying the other."

"Humph... as foolish as ever," the girl threw out forcefully, before wavering and collapsing against her.

Kurenai squeezed Naruko's body affectionately for some time, before picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom. Though she had learned much this time from her, she couldn't say things were any better now than before. In fact, it was probably opposite. There were so many unknown factors, it was almost pointless to even think about it. And most surprising of all, was Kyuubi really dead? Or its mind? She found no reason for the girl to lie to her, but it seemed so hard to believe. And where did its chakra go? Without a will to guide it, what would happen? Staring at Naruko's sleeping form, she could tell the answer was playing out right now.


End file.
